Ascend Through Darkness
by Plague Upon Man
Summary: The apocalypse of the undead is upon Equestria. As the ponies struggle against the odds to survive, they receive help from an unexpected quartet of expert zombie slayers.
1. Introduction Through Massacre

Ascend Through Darkness Ch. 1: Introduction Through Massacre

"Doc, we have to get out of here! We've already freed Gersch and the zombies are breaking in. Haven't you found all the info yet?"

"If you would stop screaming for a moment, Dempsey, I would've explained to you the way out of here!"

"How will we go about this, Doctor Richtofen?"

"No need to rush, I have plenty of vodka."

"Before Gersch ascended, he told me to go into his office and look inside the drawers of his desk. There are coordinates here that will allow us to use his device to teleport us out of this Soviet Cosmodrome. It only says that it will take us far away. It is strange for a scientist of his magnitude to be so vague about it…"

"Hmph, as long as we can resupply, I don't care where we go."

"Of course you wouldn't care about the genius of a portable teleporter, Dempsey. Your brain would surely never comprehend it. Now, give me a few minutes. It will take a while before I can type the whole code in."

"You got one minute. Those freak sacs are starting to come in!"

"My ammo may be low, but my honor shall see us through this dark hour!"

"Oh please, Takeo. Can you use your honor to make a new barricade? Step aside, this Russian bear will show you how it's done."

"Will you hurry up with that Gersch Device, Doc? "

"Do not rush perfection, American! I'm already halfway through the code."

"They are approaching now! Banzai!"

"One by one, they will fall to the might of Nikolai!"

"Argh, these maggot whores are annoying! Get off my boots!"

"Hm, and then this big thingie goes here like the other thingie… There! I got the coordinates. I don't know where this 'Ponyville' is, but its better than here! Everyone, jump into the singularity!"

* * *

Dear Princess Celestia,

It has only been a few weeks since this epidemic has started. The infection has already spread around Ponyville. What used to be a quaint town filled with happy pony folk is now a warzone. Sirens would often blare out across the town to alert the citizens of the incoming onslaught. Houses and pathways have become barricaded. We are trying our best to simply survive. The zombies are starting to outnumber the living. To be honest, I don't know how long the Pegasus guards can handle this before they become exhausted. Although we are supporting them in whatever way we can, we cannot go on like this forever. I will continue to hope for you and Princess Luna's success in finding a cure to this madness.

Sincerely, Your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle

Satisfied with the lack of grammatical errors, the unicorn rolled up the scroll and handed it to Spike. With the letter resolved, she turned towards her friends who were sat around the living room table to discuss the matter at hand.

"Girls, our situation isn't getting any better. The zombie ponies are becoming too numerous and the attacks are happening more often than usual. Our supplies are beginning to dwindle and Canterlot can only give us so much support. We may have to abandon Ponyville soon." Her plan had been met with disdain.

"Ya know I can't do that, Twilight. I just can't abandon my family trade like that! Where would we go anyway?" Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy murmured their agreements with Applejack.

"I can't just leave Mr. and Mrs. Cake to defend themselves. That would be so mean!" Pinkie added.

"I still believe we have a fighting chance against these uncouth undead. My vote's with Pinkie and Applejack. Fluttershy, what say you, dear?"

"Um…I think we should stay as well." Although the consensus agreed on staying, Twilight felt that she had to add her two cents in.

"If we remain here, our supplies will eventually vanish. The Weather Pegasuses can't give us the proper storm for our crops to flourish while they're under attack. We nearly lost Rainbow Dash the last time we tried that."

"Don't remind me," she piped up. "It was an awful night. Who knew rotting flesh can fly?"

"Which is exactly why we need to make our move soon. We can move to neighboring cities and fortify our positions there. Right now, we need numbers and I do not like our odds of survival against the hording undead. I know its incredibly difficult for us to simply leave our beloved town behind. But Ponyville won't be dead as long as its citizens survive." Despite all the logic and evidence backing her plan up, Twilight still noticed a glint of doubt in her friends' eyes. They wouldn't stare at her directly when she looked towards their direction. They knew Twilight was right. But the idea seemed so ludicrous! This time, Fluttershy spoke her peace.

"But… what about the sick and the elderly?" Twilight visibly cringed at the Pegasus's inquiry. She knew the question would eventually pop up, but it still hurt to give the answer that no one wanted to hear.

"I, I'm afraid we will have to leave them behind. They won't be able to travel under these conditions. And they would slow down everyone, which puts everything at risk." Her friends were stunned by what she had just said. Applejack was the first to recover from the shock.

"I can't believe you would say such a thing! Of all the ponies to say such words, I'd expect you to be the last one." The backlash was painful, but the unicorn had to say it . There was no point in hiding any detail from her friends.

"I'm sorry, dear. But if you suggest we abandon defenseless ponies, then I simply cannot abide by your plans. It may very well be a sound idea, but it goes against every fiber of our being to commit such acts of selfishness." Everypony agreed with Rarity's little speech. Twilight merely sighed. In the face of adversity, logic will triumph. Apparently, no one in Ponyville has heard of that yet. But, she knew when she was defeated.

"I'm sorry for suggesting such a thing, girls. I just want what's best for the general public."

"Its okay, Twilight," Pinkie Pie beamed. Even in such a dark situation, she somehow remained positive. Though, of course, laughing at the zombies wouldn't make them disappear. "We're all still pals! We simply have to think of a better plan of attack." Twilight couldn't help but smile. Pinkie's happy-go-lucky demeanor was rather infectious. Perhaps the magic of friendship will prevail through the darkest of times after all.

* * *

As the quartet travelled through the wormhole, they noticed that it was taking a little longer than usual for them to reach their destination. Once they reached the other side of the wormhole, they pushed through at once, which unknowingly created a violent reaction. As they were warped back into the third dimension, a loud explosion ringed in their ears and a bright flash of light blinded their eyes. Dust filled their lungs as they tried to get a grip on where they had just appeared.

"Ugh, I don't feel well…" Said Takeo, the Imperial Japanese soldier.

"Suck it up, Tak. At least we don't have to deal with those freak bags." Dempsey replied. The quartet climbed out of the crater and began to take in their new surroundings. Though some of the town was ravaged from the fighting, the rest of Ponyville still maintained its colorful luster and bright hues. After being surrounded by death and decay for so long, the humans had a hard time registering it. "Whoa, where the hell are we?"

"I don't know Dempsey. But that's not important right now! Where's my vodka bottle?" Nikolai dove back into the crater, frantically looking for his beloved drink. The Marine merely rolled his eyes.

"What a peculiar environment," inquired Doctor Richtofen. "I must look further into this Gersch Device. If it has the ability to travel through different realities, who knows where we might end up next?" Dempsey ignored the Nazi's ramblings. He and Takeo turned their attention to a group of ponies, who were staring at them with a mixture of fear and curiousity. There was something unnatural about this batch of equines. For one, two of them had a single horn coming out from the head, much like a unicorn. One was suspended in the air by the flapping of its wings. And the color of their pelts were eye-popping, to say the least.

"Either I'm drunk, or that pony over there is freakin' pink! And to whom it may concern, yes, I did find my stash." Although they were incredibly wary of these odd creatures, Twilight still felt that they should welcome them.

"Hello. My name is Twilight Sparkle. And the place you just…uh, appeared in is Ponyville."

"Whoa, a talking horse! This is almost as cool as that Wonder Waffle." Richtofen shuddered at Dempsey's butchered pronunciation of his greatest invention, the Wunderwaffe DG-2. Before anyone else got a chance to introduce each other, the sirens blared out their deafening call. The ponies were immediately on alert while the humans remained muddled.

"Oh no, not now! Pinkie, Fluttershy, I need you to guide our guests to the safe house. The rest of us will fight off these zombies. Sorry, guys. Introductions will have to wait." When Twilight looked towards the quartet, she noticed an odd look in their eyes. Well, stranger than what she was used to in seeing a human, anyway. She couldn't help but question their sudden silence. "We're kind of in a middle of an undead crisis here. Can you please cooperate?"

"Cooperate? Oh, we'll do one better. I haven't taken such a long break from destroying these nasty squags in quite a while."

"I would dare not sit out of a battle. It would be most dishonorable!"

"As much as I would like to sit and drink, those zombies are really pissing me off. Always following us wherever we go…"

"Ja, I am quite interested in seeing these pony zombies. Maybe a dissection of them will prove beneficial to my research…" Although Twilight did not know how skilled these new arrivals were at killing zombies, any help would be appreciated by the townsfolk. No matter how sick in the head they sounded.

"If you guys insist so much, I can't force you to change your mind. Alright, follow us! We're going to split up and defend key places. Once all is done, we'll guide you to the town square and talk some more. Until then, good luck, everypony!"

* * *

AN: In the next chapter, we will see what happens at Sweet Apple Acres.


	2. Takeo and Applejack

Ascend Through Darkness Ch. 2: Takeo and Applejack

Ponyville was once again under the attack of the undead. But this time, things were different. With the arrival of Tank Dempsey, Nikolai Belinski, Takeo Masaki, and Doctor Edward Richtofen, the town had zombie slaying experts on their side. Though most of the ponyfolk were doubtful of their usefulness, the humans knew exactly how to deal with zombies, be it human or animal. Takeo decided to team up with Applejack and protect Sweet Apple Acres from the dead. He felt that this farmer pony would be the most practical and down-to-earth character out of the group. Rainbow Dash's attitude reminded him far too much of the American. An overbearing personality was something he wanted to escape from. Rarity's overall prissiness got on his nerves. Her attention to even minute details was remarkable, but she would usually go overboard with it. Fluttershy gave off a weak and nervous aura; something he did not appreciate or respect out on the battlefield. Pinkie Pie's random nature was, strange, to say the least for Takeo. It gave him a headache just trying to comprehend the pink pony's actions. Twilight would have been his next choice were it not for the Doctor. His evil presence and lack of sanity nearly threw the Japanese over the edge. He can only hope that Richtofen's dark influence won't get a hold of the unicorn. As the duo made their way up a dirt path, he noticed the strong scent of apples. It seems they were close to Sweet Apple Acres.

"So, Applejack-san, your family owns this whole plot of land?" Takeo gestured towards the rows of trees in the distance. It seemed to stretch beyond the horizon.

"That's right. Been in the family for as long as I could remember. Its somethin' anypony could be proud of. Say, I know you're itchin' to get into the brawl, but you don't look so good." The earth pony had been referring to the numerous bandages and bloodstains that covered the human's uniform and body. There were also fresh wounds strewn across his back from his previous skirmish with the undead. It was true that he was hurt and tired, but he refused to show weakness to the ponies. It would have been most dishonorable of Takeo to even think of doing such a thing.

"Hmph, I will show you what an honorable warrior is truly capable of. Leave it to Takeo to bring light into this dark place!"

"Ya got, confidence, I'll give you that. I reckon you're the type that won't do somethin' stupid anyway. We'll head to the barn so I can bring you up to date with what's been going on around Ponyville." The duo quicken their pace towards the large red building to find that Big Macintosh, Applejack's older brother, was already waiting for them within.

"Howdy, Applejack. Who's the newcomer?" He cautiously walks closer to the human, who was surprisingly taller than him.

"Takeo, allow me to introduce you to my brother, Big Mac. He's here to help us push back the zombies." The crimson pony's stoic expression changed to one of happiness.

"Well, I'll be. Mighty glad to have ya here, Takeo." He merely nodded. He was still trying to wrap his mind on how a family of ponies can own farmland.

"Alright, y'all. The three of us are gonna patrol the orchards and make sure that these undead marauders get what they deserve! We've already got the rest of the Apple family protecting the buildings, so we don't need to worry about that. Splitting up may sound like a good idea, but we'd be at greater risk of dying. So we gotta watch each other's back. Everypony got that?" Her question was met with nods from the others. Although Takeo did not enjoy being ordered around by most people, let alone ponies, he had to keep his mouth shut if he wanted these allies. Besides, it was refreshing to get away from that drunkard, Nikolai. Absentmindedly, he reached for his weapon, an AK74-fu2, and lamented over the lack of ammo. He only had three clips to spare before the gun itself becomes useless. Despite the absence of a light source, it still gave off an eerie glow. This was attributed to the element "115" which caused the gun to become even more powerful than its original counterpart, the AK74-u.

"Since we are here, I wonder if we will see the Pack-a-Punch machine somewhere…"Takeo quietly said to himself. He looked up to the stares of the Apple siblings.

"Whatcha got there, Takeo?" Applejack asked. They had never seen such an odd contraption before. Nopony before today knew what a gun is.

"This, this is one of the many tools I use to slay the unholy. It is a devastating weapon of destruction only meant for the most honorable of warriors. You will see it in action soon enough."

"I hope those fancy words aren't just for show! Alright fellas, let's get to it!" The trio exits the barn to be greeted by the wide expanse of the Sweet Apple Acres. As they began their patrol of the acres, they noticed something in the far distance. At first, it was nothing more but dots in the sky. Then, it became clear all too soon. Zombie Pegasuses can be seen flapping their wings towards the farmland. A legion of pony zombies loomed over the horizon, marching to feast upon the living. Takeo looked to his allies. Although they were visibly trembling in fear, they stood their ground. He could see a multitude of emotions in their eyes. Anxiety, determination, hatred, they were all present. Slowly, Takeo has come to the realization that he no longer felt honor bound to protect these ponyfolk. It was no longer an obligation, rather an impulse to help those in need. It was an alien feeling for him. Normally, he would've fought for himself. He could care less if the other humans were taken down as they only teamed up to merely survive. However, these ponies have proved to be an altogether different case.

"I will not allow these damn beasts to cut into our flesh," Takeo stepped forward. "They will bow down before us! Big Mac, allow me to ride on your back. I'll be sure to protect your flanks."

"Eyup, sure thing, partner." He wasn't given much of a choice as the human had already mounted himself on top of his back. Once there, Takeo pulls out his katana and points it to the sky.

"We will fight through the scourge! Banzai!" Yelling out his signature battle cry, the ponies charged towards the undead horde. Applejack readied her lasso, tying up groups of zombies together in an effort slow them down. She would then finish them off with a powerful rear kick, splattering gore and pieces of brain everywhere.

"Heh, just like buckin' apples!" Big Mac used his size advantage and superior strength to trample and ram into the zombies. It was odd to have a rider on his back while he was fighting, but he soon got used to it. The duo quickly adapted to each other's way of fighting. Takeo was slicing heads off incoming zombies who dared to try and feast on them. Though it had been a while since the Japanese soldier had used his blade, it had not rust or dull in the slightest. It was refreshing for Takeo to finally use a proper blade. As interesting as the sickle and the bowie knife were, they could never hold a candle to his katana. What was left of the fear and anxiety earlier had all but vanished, replaced with adrenaline and a sense of accomplishment. With the combined efforts of the three, the undead didn't stand a chance. And Takeo didn't even have to use his gun! However, it wasn't long before the zombie Pegasuses swooped in from the skies, nearly knocking Takeo off of Big Mac.

"Ergh, annoying flies! I need you two to cover my back so I can get a clear shot at them!" He jumped off of Big Mac before either he or Applejack could ask what he meant. A sword would not do well against an opponent with great mobility. He placed his sword back in its sheath and pullrf out his gun to deal with the circling vultures. Conserving ammo was Takeo's specialty. This, in turn, meant that he was the best at getting headshots and ensuring the kill. Now oblivious to the carnage around him, he moved his sights to the spot he predicted the fliers would be at. All his concentration was on the flying zombies. With the pull of a trigger, he opened fire, dropping the zombies from the skies with each successive burst. He turned towards the Apple siblings to find that they had just finished off the last of the horde.

"Well, no rest for the weary," Applejack said. "Let's get to the buildings to check up on the rest." Though she didn't show it, the earth pony had many questions swimming in her head concerning Takeo. What was his past like? How did he get here? And what was the loud, strange mechanism he held in his hands? Was it some kind of powerful sorcery that didn't belong in Equestria? But, there was no time for an interview. She had to ensure the future of the Apple family by surviving this apocalypse first. The three broke out into a sprint, hoping that their home was secured. As they drew nearer, the sounds of conflict can be heard, growing louder with each step taken. This only urged the trio to further quicken their pace. It wasn't long before they saw the battlefield. The zombies were engaged in a fierce battle with the Apple family. Unfortunately, some of the family members had already fallen; their limp bodies lay dead on the floor. This only deepened Applejack's hatred towards the undead. Without a word, she charged headlong into the fray, oblivious to the cries of her big brother.

"Damn that foal! She's gonna end up killing herself like this. Sorry Takeo, but I'm going after her." Big Mac ran after his sister to ensure her safety. He was now alone in the midst of the chaos, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

"For glory!" Once more, the bushido warrior drew his katana, ready to tear the zombies asunder. His closest target was a rather large group of zombies who were slowly cornering some of the Apple family. With a mighty cry, he charged at them, slashing his way through the numbers. With each swing of his sword, limbs and flesh would fly everywhere, bathing the ground in their festering blood. Soon, there was nothing left of the enemy. With the smaller group of earth ponies saved, Takeo ran towards more zombies, carving a path through the carnage. He came upon another small gathering of the Apple family; though this time they were putting up a good fight. He raises his sword in the air, ready to slice through the sinews of the undead marauders. There were nothing but clean cuts from the samurai; a testament to his swordsmanship. Though there were more allies to rely upon in battle, the enemy ranks have also considerably grown in size. Fatigue soon began to affect Takeo. His movements were slightly sluggish and his vision became somewhat blurred. To top it off, his body hasn't fully recovered from his last encounter with Nazi zombies back on earth. Still, he pushed onward. For an honorable warrior such as himself, the only path is to move forward. There is no such thing as going back.

"Do not be so anxious to cross swords with Takeo," he called out. "I cannot be defeated by the damned!" His words unknowingly brought inspiration to the Apple family, effectively boosting their morale. Though they were all tired, they knew with this strange creature on their side, victory would be ensured. His authoritative presence was so strong, that the others couldn't help but rally around him, as if he was their new leader. Taking notice of this, he gave them one simple order.

"Their numbers are diminishing! All we must do now is push them back. Drive them back, away from Sweet Apple Acres! Banzai!" With Takeo at the helm, he and the Apple family charged at a furious pace in an effort to destroy the zombies in one final attack. He was ready to die for any honorable cause. After all, life was light compared to honor. The tables were turning in the ponies' favor as more of the zombies remained dead. Everywhere around him was some sort of conflict between the living and the dead. He needed to end the fight quickly before casualties can mount up. After killing a few more zombies, he placed his sword back in its sheath and pulls out his trusty AK74fu-2. With precise accuracy, he was able to kill many more with just a few bullets in his clip. Even in the heat of battle, the gun's echoing fire rang out in everyone's ears.

"For the Emperor!" With his last clip, he fires wildly at the remaining zombies, effectively killing them. Once the gun was empty making an audible "click," he straped it around his back and pulled out his katana once more. He waited and waited with baited breath, feeling that battle might not be over just yet. Silence ensued, and not a single creature stirred for that tense moment. Sensing that all the zombies were gone, he let out a sigh and placed his sword in its sheath. Their victory over the zombies was met with a deafening cheer from the whole group. It was only now that he noticed that neither Applejack nor Big Mac was present in the crowd. Takeo opted to walk away from the group in favor of finding the ponies that he was familiar with. However, he did not get very far when he was stopped by a filly with a pale olive coat and a brilliant crimson mane with an equally bright ribbon adorning the top of her head. She looked up to him in a mixture of awe and curiosity. He merely raised his eyebrows at her gaping.

"Is there something I can do for you, little one?" He was beginning to fear that he may be trying to converse with a mute pony until she finally spoke up.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said with a notable southern accent. It seemed to have run in the family. "I didn't mean to stare. Its just that you're so different from anything I've ever seen. My name's Apple Bloom. What's yours?"

"My name is Takeo Masaki. I am a captain of the Japanese Imperial Army." He didn't really know why he added that last part. After all, do these ponies even know what Japan or Earth is? The humans had never of Equestria before this. Then again, Richtofen did mention something about Gersch's coordinates taking them to Ponyville before they jumped into the black hole…

"Hee hee, that's a funny name. You look mighty tired. Why don't you come inside and we'll get you fixed up?"

"I would like that very much. Domo." It had been so long since either he or his team had a proper establishment to rest in. Even a basic shack with simple bedding would've been great.

"Alrighty then! Follow me, Applejack and Big Mac are inside. Although, you may want to avoid my sister for a little while."

"Why is that? Did something happen?" He noticed a slightly glum expression had appeared on the filly's face.

"Well, they got into an argument, and big sis usually likes to be alone afterwards. Its sort of a family thing. Here, let me get the door for ya." As both filly and human enter the household, he noticed how spacious the interior was. Even for one of his stature, the house proved to be large enough to comfortably fit him. Judging from the ovens and the pantries, they were most likely in the kitchen. "You can take a seat over there in the dining room. I'll be back with you in a bit." Following Apple Bloom's instructions, he sat on top of one of the haystacks that acted as chairs for ponies. Admittedly, it was also quite comfortable for the posteriors of humans as well. He did not have to wait long for the filly to return with a tray of cupcakes and a bottle of apple juice.

"Here ya go, mister! Its all for you." After saying his thanks, she got up and left, saying she had other things to attend to. It was at this time that he was finally able to fully comprehend his surroundings. Never in his wildest dreams would he ever talk with ponies that could casually strike a conversation with him. Hell, as far as he knew, his team was the first humans to ever set foot in Equestria! Despite this, there were some frighteningly similar things between human and pony culture that he took note of. Farms, towns and cities were the first similarities that he noticed. Even the architecture in some of the buildings he had seen bore a great resemblance to earth. But, how did they manage all this construction and carpentry? They only had hooves with no hands, let alone opposable thumbs to hold on to objects. Before he could rack his brain more on the matter, Big Mac entered the dining room.

"Hey there, Takeo. If its alright, I'd like to speak to ya." The large pony situated himself on another haystack across from the human, who patiently waited.

"Is there something troubling you, Big Mac?" he inquired.

"Yes, there is. Its about my sisters. Ever since all of this fightin' started, I fear for their safety. More so than usual."

"Which was why you ran after Applejack."

"Eyup. As much as I hate to lose family members to conflict, I'd never be able to live with myself if I let any kind of harm fall on any of my sisters. What kind of a big brother would I be?"

"And you wish to ask me a favor pertaining to your younger siblings."

"You catch on quick, partner. No wonder my sister has taken a shinin' to ya. Anyway, if anythin' were to happen to me, I want you to protect them in my stead."

"Why would you trust a stranger with the lives of your loved ones?"

"I, I don't know. There's just somethin' about you that makes you incredibly trustworthy. You seem to know how to deal with the zombies, at the very least."

"Hm, reasonable. How will you know that I simply won't turn my back to them in their time of need?" Big Mac took a moment to consider his answer, before settling on one word.

"Honor." At this, Takeo raised his eyebrows at the crimson pony. For a while, he stared at him square in the eye, unnerving him in the process. Then, he started laughing. It started low, but grew louder and louder, echoing throughout the empty dining room.

"Very well! I will do you this favor. Rest assured, my equine friend. No harm shall fall upon us while I'm around. I'll stake my honor and life on it."

"Thanks a bunch, Takeo. I knew I could count on you. Well, I'd better get goin'. I still have some unsorted business to finish up."

"Oh, there is one more thing I would like to say."

"What is it?"

"Give my regards to the chef. These are the best damn cupcakes I ever had in my life!"

* * *

AN: Up next is the misadventures of Rainbow Dash and Tank Dempsey!


	3. Second Impact, Third Strike

Ch. 3 Second Impact, Third Strike

"Man, why did you have to have a rainbow colored mane for? That just screams out fruity."

"Excuse me? I happen to be born this way and for your information mister; I am not a fillyfooler!"

"Whatever you say, Butch."

"Ha, say what you want Tank. But we won't be in need of your services at the moment. So why don't you just go back to whatever planet you're from and get the hell out of my face!"

"You're one to talk, Rainbow Bitch! You've got fuckin' wings, for Pete's sake! Why don't you fly away from me so that I can kill in peace?" This close. He was this close to breaking the pegasus's jaw shut with his fists. He didn't care what anyone else would've thought of him. All the Marine ever wanted was for her to shut up. Their incessant arguing had distracted them so much that they haven't even realized they had reached their destination. It was the western bridge that connected Ponyville with the Everfree Forest. Nearly as wide as an airfield strip, the bridge itself was incredibly spacious. Made out of cobblestone, it gave off a rather antiquated feel with its arced design. Normally, it would've been free of debris and clutter. But, since it was a key area to defend, barricades of all sorts were strewn across the bridge as a last line of defense. Stationed along the bridge were some of the Royal Pegasus Guards of Canterlot. Unlilke most ponies, these soldiers were clad in golden armor and were quite large for pegasuses. One of them walks up to the arguing pair and immediately silenced them by stomping the ground. Rainbow Dash and Dempsey turned their attention to the offending pony only to be met with a glare. This caused Rainbow Dash to straighten up, as if she were in boot camp. Dempsey, however, remained pissed off.

"Rainbow Dash," he began. "who, or what is this?" he gestured towards the human who gave him an annoyed look.

"Oh, him? Uh, he's just here to help us with the infestation, Captain. That's all." Not satisfied with her answer, he walked up to the human, staring him straight in the eye. Dempsey's scowl only intensified.

"Hmph, if he wishes to help us, then he would do well in following my orders," he turns his attention to his men. "Alright, colts! I want three squadrons circling the skies around Ponyville. If you see anypony in need, do not hesitate to give them assistance. The rest of you shall remain here with me to defend the bridge. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir!" His whole unit, including Rainbow Dash shouted. With that, they flew to their stations, leaving about 20 pegasuses on the bridge.

"You there! What is your name, creature?" He wasn't the type of pony to welcome any newcomer into his unit, especially if the newcomer in question wasn't a pony. If it wasn't clear that the Captain didn't like the Dempsey, he did his damn best to clarify his hatred now.

"Ha, isn't that cute? The little pony thinks he's a badass!"

"Don't even think of trying anything funny, cretin. Otherwise, you may just find your skull beneath my hooves." With that, he walked away and began giving more instructions to his men. Rainbow Dash hovered up to Dempsey and began to speak.

"Whoa, you shouldn't have pissed off Captain Storm like that."

"And why is that? He's gonna make a bitchfest out of everything now, or what?"

"Actually, that's exactly it. Things are just going to get harder from here on out."

"Well guess what? Since I'm here, this little zombie outbreak is gonna be over with pretty damn soon. That pussy captain of yours can sit on his ass and watch as I mop the floor with those bone junkies!" Dempsey prepped his double barreled shotgun dubbed Hades for the upcoming fight. Originally, it was an Olympia, a shotgun meant for skeet shooting. After going through the process of the Pack-a-Punch machine, it was able to fire incendiary rounds. The mare looked at his mechanism in awe. Her eyes sparkled at the sheen it reflected.

"Oooh, that looks pretty cool, actually!" She almost felt like Pinkie Pie for wanting to touch the shotgun so bad. Thankfully, Dempsey had pulled the gun away which brought the pegasus out of her trance.

"Sorry, missy. No one but me gets to touch my guns. Still, you do have an eye for good weaponry." Quickly reverting back to her old self, Rainbow Dash crossed her hooves across her chest and looked at the Marine cautiously.

"So? What the heck is it suppose to do?"

"Oh, you'll see what it does soon enough." Dempsey quietly chuckled, which unnerved the mare. Captain Storm returns to the pair with an unimproved mood and new orders.

"I want you two at the frontlines. Everypony's already at their stations. I suggest you hurry before I get drastic." Rainbow Dash saluted Captain Storm before she and Dempsey depart. With the Captain's back to them, the human gave him the finger, which caused the rainbow mare to roll her eyes. Arriving at the front part of the bridge, Rainbow Dash was surprised to find that nobody else was there with them.

"H-hey, where is everypony? Don't tell me its just us two!" Panic had begun to encroach within her mind. The Marine, however, remained nonchalant to the situation.

"Who cares? We don't need pussies getting in the way. At least, I don't." Rainbow Dash looks at him with an incredulous expression.

"Are you nuts? Before you came along, the zombies would easily outnumber us. Now that its just you and me, shit's gonna get worse!" Normally, the mare would hardly ever use such foul language. Perhaps it was the American's influence on her behavior.

"Hm, let's see here… a thousand zombies versus one Dempsey. Yeah, that sounds about fair."

"Are you even listening to me? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Listen here, Butch. I've just about had it with your constant bitching. If you're so concerned about dying, why don't you go cry to Captain Storm for reinforcements? It would make both of our lives a helluva lot easier! Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to feed the maggot whores some hot lead." Before the pegasus in question could retort, he dashed off into the forest. Rainbow Dash was never a coward, and she would definitely never run away from a fight. But why had the Captain abandon the two at the frontlines? The battle hasn't even started and the disloyalty became clear. She didn't really enjoy his presence, but she knew he was a colt of honor. He would never do something like this to her! Perhaps it had something to do with the arrival of Dempsey in this world. It was then that she decided to confront Captain Storm about this issue another time. Right now, she had some zombie ponies to slaughter. And she wasn't about to leave Dempsey all alone in the Everfree Forest. No matter how aggravating he was.

* * *

"Ka-fucking-boom freak bags! I can't believe you nasty squags thought you stood a chance against me!" Tank Dempsey was a man of action. To him, there was no such thing as a before or after a war. Give him a loaded gun, a good woman and something to shoot at and he'll be happy. As of now, all he needed is a lady friend. Primarily using Hades, the scent of burning flesh gave him encouragement for more slaughter. Although somewhat cumbersome to reload, double-barreled shotguns were some of Dempsey's favorite weapons to use. Due to his liberal usage of the incendiary rounds, he had set the surrounding trees on fire, creating a thick, black smoke around the area. It was only a minor annoyance to him, having been surrounded by flames before. But, the fire did little to impede the zombies themselves. They would simply walk through, igniting themselves in the process. It would melt the flesh in some areas of the body, exposing the bone and releasing a noxious fume that could only compare to festering road kill. All of this amounted to a good time for the American. Suddenly, a flash of blue streaked passed him followed by a rainbow. The sheer force of the shockwave nearly knocked Dempsey off his feet. Then, a loud explosion-like noise rippled across the battlefield, leaving dead zombies and a giant rainbow overhead. The hurricane-like winds that ensued fanned the flames into nothing but dying embers. He shielded his eyes as debris began to encircle the battlefield. Somehow, he had a feeling that this was all a certain pegasus's doing.

"What the fuck was that?" He shouted.

"My signature move, the Sonic Rainboom!" A familiar voice replied. He saw Rainbow Dash descending from the skies with a large smile plastered on her face.

"You know, you could've given me a warning before you go off like a freakin' nuke!"

"It wouldn't have mattered. I was breaking the sound barrier so you would've heard the boom before me." Refusing to show his astonishment, he shields it by casually berating her.

"Geez, what the hell is with you and rainbows? Why couldn't you pick a cooler color like red or something?"

"Rainbows are most certainly cool! You just haven't realized it yet. Although red could make for an interesting display…"

"Hmph. By the way, why were you so concerned about losing the fight? I mean, you've got that sonic boom shit."

"Well, I guess I'll have to come clean. You see, I haven't actually perfected the technique. I've been able to do it a couple of times after the competition, but its still pretty damn hard to nail it perfectly. And I couldn't just leave you alone to fend off these creeps. Nopony gets left behind, even if they're not exactly ponies in the first place."

"You know, you remind me of Tak. You're loyal, honest and reliable to boot. Hell, the flyboys back at base would've loved to see some of your fancy maneuvers. I gotta admit, you're a badass, despite being associated with rainbows." The mare couldn't help but blush at the first nice thing the Marine had said about her. But, there was something else that he had said that caused her ears to perk up.

"Wait, you mean there are some of you guys that can fly?"

"Heh, not exactly on their own accord. You see, we've got technology on our side and pilots would fly on an airplane…" Their conversation about his home planet continued on as they strolled back to the bridge to report the good news to Captain Storm. Despite the battle being over, the Captain was still ordering his colts around, ensuring that the barricades are to his liking. Never in his wildest dreams would he ever think of meeting a human. The colt had only heard of humans through fairy tales. With them in Equestria, it felt like their problems had only just begun. He had feigned ignorance to those two to keep them off of his back. Only the royalty needed to know about these humans. As he checked the perimeter, Storm ushered one of his men to him.

"Take this note," he commanded. "Dear Princess Luna, I am afraid we are going to have bigger problems than zombies. We've got four powerful humans in our midst. Though they may seem helpful, I fear they may grow too strong for us to handle. For now, I will await your further orders."

* * *

Why? Why of all ponies did it have to be her and Fluttershy who had to deal with a drunkard? This was the single thought that had been going through Rarity's mind ever since Nikolai tagged along. She was no stranger to alcohol, but this strange man takes drinking to a whole new level! Poor Fluttershy could barely stand his abrasive attitude. Nonetheless, the unlikely trio had their orders from the Mayor; protect the shopping districts and assist anypony who hasn't made it to the safe house yet. Much to the relief of Fluttershy, she was able to get away from the Russian to help a few stray ponies here and there. The pegasus was almost reluctant to return to Rarity, but she did not want the unicorn to deal with him alone. Nikolai himself had become unusually silent lately. At first, he thought his vodka had gone bad and he was having hallucinations about brightly colored, talking ponies. Unfortunately, he knew Russian vodka was the best. It never went bad (in his opinion). In an effort to get his mind off of the subject of horses, he blearily grabbed a hold of his weapon, the FN FAL. Of course, like his other comrades, it went through the Pack-a-Punch machine, turning it into the EPC WIN. Instead of a single-shot mode, the EPC WIN was a three-burst rifle. It also came with a reflex sight which comes with a nifty reticule of a smiley face. Rarity couldn't help but stare at the gun in Nikolai's hands. The intricate designing in the metal gave it a foreign, almost Celtic look to it. The wooden parts of the gun remained unchanged, giving a nice, stark contrast to the gun that was simply appealing to the eye. Feeling eyes boring into him, Nikolai turned to Rarity with a silly grin fixed on his face.

"She's pretty, no?" He asked, gesturing towards his gun.

"Uh, yes, gorgeous," The unicorn replied rather nervously. She still did not know what humans were capable of. But if they were so willing to fight, perhaps they were stronger than they look. "What exactly is 'she'?"

"You mean you don't know? Bah, I hope this place has vodka, then! If you guys don't know what a gun is, we're probably gonna be fucked later on."

"Gun?" She repeated, hoping to have pronounced the foreign word properly.

"I'm probably not the best person to ask for knowledge. You know, because I'm so drunk and all that," For someone who was constantly drunk, he was surprisingly logical. "Hey, what's up with your flying buddy? He's been awfully quiet. Maybe he need drink of Nikolai's vodka." But, he was still inebriated, no matter what anyone said. The pegasus in question merely squeaked at the sudden attention. She tried her best to shrink behind Rarity's form while the unicorn tried to explain to Nikolai that her "flying buddy" was a pegasus and was indeed a female. Unfortunately, her sophisticated vocabulary fell on deaf, drunken ears as Nikolai truly tried his best to listen to what the unicorn had to say. Suddenly, the Russian pointed his gun upwards and fired three rounds into the sky, startling both Rarity and Fluttershy.

"Sorry about that. I had to make sure I'm hearing things correctly."

"Well, you could've given us a little warning! If the zombies don't kill me with their stench, your frightening mechanism will! Can't you make it quieter or something to that effect?" With his headache getting worse with each word coming out of her mouth, it would only be a matter of time before the Nikolai's short fuse lit.

"I think someone should put a silencer on **your** muzzle! All this bitching and moaning, like my third wife!"

"Um… guys?"

"How dare you speak to a lady like that! Have you no dignity? Somepony should show you your place!"

"Sheesh, what is it with you women and your elegance shit? And here I thought my fourth wife was the biggest bitch."

"…Hello? I think we should-"

"And what is that suppose to mean, you drunken cur? I have a mind to turn that 'gun' of yours into cashmere!"

"You touch me or any of my belongings, I kill you! Sounds like fair trade."

"I really think that-"

"Ha, I wouldn't dare touch you with a 10 foot pole! You are that atrocious to me."

"That's fucking fantastic because Nikolai won't be coming to save your ass."

"ZOMBIE PONIES!" Fluttershy's sudden outburst brought both Rarity and Nikolai out of their heated argument. They turned to see the zombies already closing in on the town from the hills. Taking the initiative, the trio charged onwards in an effort to cut off the entrances from the incoming attacks. With the engagement now outside of Ponyville, they went all out. While Fluttershy took to the sky to combat them, Rarity engaged the closest group of zombies with her limited offensive magic. Meanwhile, Nikolai picked off the undead crowd from afar by the dozen. Though their numbers were enormous to the ponies, Nikolai knew this was nothing compared to his previous fights with the living dead. Admittedly, he can understand their desperate struggle as their technology was not as advanced as the humans. From as much as he knew, only unicorns had the power to use magic which left the rest with close quarters combat. This makes them even more vulnerable to the infection, which only made things harder. It was only now that the Russian truly appreciated the worth of a gun, even if he did have a sickle for those close encounters.

"Ugh, this is worse than mud and dirt combined! Can't these maggots explode a little more neatly? Its times like these that I wish I was born a pegasus so that I can be above this mess." Even in the heat of battle, Rarity had tidiness to complain about.

"You know, these hell pigs are almost as bad as your whining, Rarity."

"I am not whining. I am complaining. If you want whining, I will gladly show you during a more appropriate situation." He merely groaned in response. As the fighting continued on, both the ponies were becoming exhausted, as they were still not used to the hard labor. Nikolai, on the other hand, was barely breaking a sweat. This provided comfort to the ponies, yet it aggravated Rarity all at the same time. She did not like being bested by someone as uncouth as Nikolai, even if she is in his home field. It wasn't long before Fluttershy descended to the ground, landing next to Rarity.

"I'm sorry," she began. "I just can't keep this up. There weren't this many before."

"I understand, dear. Just stick close to me and we'll get through this. I know you're exhausted, but I'm going to need you to watch my rear. Can you do that for me?" Feeling somewhat energized by her friend's words, the pegasus gave a slow nod. Once more, they resume the carnage. Despite their efforts, it almost felt like all was for naught. Wave after wave of undead came at them in an endless fashion. Rarity was beginning to feel the stress of constantly using magic and resorted to kicking them, much to her chagrin. She would have to bathe in her most luxurious bubble bath if she can get out of this mess alive. Fluttershy was not faring well either. The constant fighting took its toll on her health. It didn't help that she wasn't use to the constant strenuous activities that fighting brought either. She was becoming weary, keeping her eyes open was becoming a cumbersome task. She knew that if she fell asleep here, she'd be dead for sure. Then, the ponies' most horrible scenario came to life as Nikolai cursed out loud.

"Fuck! Out of ammo!"

* * *

AN: Hooray for cliffhangers. And if it wasn't evident, Dempsey and Rainbow Dash aren't my favorite characters.


	4. Blotted Science

Ascend Through Darkness Ch.4 Blotted Science

"Ammo? What on Equestria is ammo? You're making it sound like it's a bad thing!"

"That's because it IS a bad thing, Rarity! Guns won't shoot without bullets."

"You mean that guns aren't powered by magic?"

"Um, I don't think this is a good time to discuss these things…"

"Your flying buddy is right. These hell pigs aren't going to kill themselves. Well, time to show them what happens when they meet Nikolai up close!" Strapping his now empty EPC WIN to his back, he pulled out a sickle. At first, it looked rather impractical for a melee weapon, but upon closer inspection one would see how lethal the blade truly is. Sharpened to the point where it sliced the air around it, there were very few things that wouldn't be cut in half by this weapon. Once the zombie ponies approached close enough, Nikolai unleashed his fury upon them, slicing through their decaying bodies and stopping them in their tracks. His love of killing had overtaken his senses. Whatever was in front of his eyes was going to die.

"Blood, gore, sinew, bone, organs, pulmonary systems!" While he was reveling in the bloodbath, Rarity and Fluttershy focused on just surviving. Despite witnessing the might of their new ally, they were unsure how long he could keep up the slaughter. Instead, the ponies opted for retreating.

"Nikolai, we must regroup! Fluttershy and I are unable to continue on," Once again, Rarity's words were ignored by the human as he continued killing everything within his sights. "Do you hear me, Nikolai? We must make for a hasty retreat!" Suddenly, Fluttershy let out an earsplitting scream. Instinctively, she turned around, fearing that the worse may have happened. However, she saw no signs of the pegasus behind her.

"Fluttershy," she called out. "Fluttershy, where are you?"

"Help me! They're chasing me!" Rarity looked to see that a small horde of zombie pegasus ponies were right on her tail. Unfortunately, in the situation that they were in, no one could help destroy her pursuers. Nikolai was far too busy with the giant group of zombies he had amassed and her spells couldn't reach far enough to be effective. Even now, Rarity was being hunted down by some of the stragglers that weren't interested in Nikolai. Her horn began to glow a light purple before she let loose a lightning strike at her pursuers.

"Back off, you cretins! I abhor your nasty habits of exploding everywhere." She had to think of a plan to save her friend before the zombies got to her. Then, a light bulb clicked in her mind as she hatched a plan.

"Fluttershy, fly towards Nikolai! Order him to attack upwards right when you pass him. He's our only hope now." Despite her panicked state, the pegasus obeyed Rarity's command. She began to pick up speed, but quickly slowed down due to fatigue. Despite this, she pressed on, willing herself to flap her wings at a faster pace. It wasn't often she used her gift of flight to get to places, even if it would be more convenient than walking. In turn, this meant that the pegasus was not used to strenuous flying. She was nearing the Russian, who was still killing the zombie ponies around him.

"Nikolai, slash upwards!" She yelled right as she zipped pass by him. Subconsciously, he followed Fluttershy's order and began swinging his sickle back and forth in an erratic fashion upwards. The zombie pegasuses flew right into his attacks, shredding themselves into bloody ribbons. Letting out a sigh of relief, she flew back to Rarity, who was currently engaged with more of the undead. The moment she landed, the pegasus resumed her fight.

"Thank you for assisting me, dear. All this icky fighting is making me sweat."

"Oh no, I should be the one thanking you, Rarity. How did you know Nikolai was going to do that?"

"Remember how we were arguing before and he mentioned having multiple wives? I figured he still had a soft spot for females, despite his brutal nature. Besides, he seemed like the type of drunk who was willing to listen to almost any lady who talked to him."

"But, he didn't listen to you."

"Well, that's because he still hates me. I suppose even in his inebriated state, his recent memory of me was rather unpleasant." Fluttershy couldn't help but admire her friend's nearly overwhelming attention to even minute details.

"It still surprises me that you can get so much out of such little conversation."

"Well, my dear, you won't get far in the fashion world if you don't take everything into consideration. I just simply apply that mantra to everyday life as well." It was rather comforting to the ponies that they were still able to hold normal conversations despite the dangerous situation that they were in. It was these small respites that pushed them onward to continue the brawl. Amongst her friends, Rarity would usually be the first to notice these little things. And sometimes, it was the little things that mattered. Then, she heard the flapping of pegasus wings in the distance. Judging by the volume, it seemed like there were at least half a dozen of them approaching their position. Soon, Fluttershy and Nikolai heard the noise as well. The trio looks up to the sky to be greeted with a familiar sight.

"Royal Pegasus Guards of Canterlot at your service," one of them called out. "Let us handle the rest. You ladies and that, er, thing can rest now."

"Oh, thank you so much," said Rarity. "I simply wouldn't know what we would do without you."

"…Uh, thank you, mister." Fluttershy quickly reverted to her bashful self with the arrival of the guards.

"Eh? You guys are on our side? Holy shit, there are ponies everywhere!"

"Ugh, come Nikolai. We must depart for the town square immediately. Fluttershy, help me drag this drunken braggart."

"Confound these ponies! They drive me even further to drink! Of course, I don't mind that in the slightest…"

* * *

Twilight Sparkle, like most unicorns, was a pursuer of knowledge. Be it magic or technology, she wanted to know it all. There were just so many fascinating things to learn about in Equestria alone that she cannot even begin to fathom other universes. The fact that she was speaking with a scientist from another realm was so overwhelming that she nearly forgot about the whole zombie apocalypse. Unfortunately for Pinkie Pie, she did not feel the same as her friend. Sure, the humans looked goofy, but this Doctor Richtofen in particular was strange, even for her. It was difficult for the pink pony to understand the words that were coming out of his mouth. She was no dunce, but what the two were discussing could easily be described as rocket science. Something that was easily not her forte.

"…thus, by travelling through the fourth dimension, the unicorn can theoretically travel to any destination that comes to mind."

"Ja, our teleporters work in a similar fashion through matter displacement. As of now, we can only do it with the MDTs which are fixed into one place. But your magic sounds incredibly convenient! I can only imagine what I could do with those spells…"

"Oh my, I wouldn't go so far as saying that, Doctor Richtofen. Its difficult to even comprehend how certain magic works. But from what you have told me so far, it seems every human can use technology to an extent."

"That is the unfortunate truth, Ms. Sparkle. Even monkeys, like Dempsey, can use powerful weapons that only science can create."

"I'm not entirely sure I get what you're trying to say but I'm afraid our talk is going to have to wait. We're here." Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, and Doctor Richtofen had been given the task of protecting the southern neighborhoods of Ponyville. During the first attacks, southern Ponyville was the first to fall into the hands of the undead. A large amount of the population died during the resulting siege. Now, all the entrances were barricaded via magic or stacked debris. Though it still retained some of its vibrant colors, the houses were nothing but shadows of their former selves. To Twilight and Pinkie, the rows of vacant, destroyed property reminded them of memories long lost to the crisis at hand. Pinkie Pie looked to her friend to find a solitary tear streaking down her face.

"Twilight, what's wrong?" She asked, concerned for her friend's wellbeing.

"Oh, its nothing," Twilight replied, not wanting to worry her friend. "I was just thinking, that's all. Anyway, let's focus on the task in front of us." Though not entirely convinced of her act, the pink earth pony decided to let the issue drop rather than push it. Richtofen pulled out two Pack-a-Punched HS-10 shotguns dubbed Typhoid and Mary. An evil glint appeared in his eyes as he spoke to his pony comrades.

"Girls, allow me to show you the German ingenuity of the Pack-a-Punch machine! It will be like mowing a lawn of flesh, ja?"

"Er, if you say so, Doctor."

"Oooo, they're so shiny! What do you do to keep that sheen?"

"Tsk tsk, oh Pinkie, that's my trade secret. I can't just give it away to anyone, or in this case, anypony, heh. Ms. Sparkle, you may want to stand back a wee bit to observe guns in action."

"Alright then, Pinkie and I will play the supporting role this time. Just give us the word if you need assistance." With their plans and methods in check, all they had to do now was wait for the enemy to come. Thankfully for Richtofen, it wasn't long before the zombies were seen marching slowly towards the trio. Twilight's horn began to glow a pale light as she prepped up a spell to destroy the invaders. Pinkie was right next to her, ensuring that no stray zombie would ambush the unicorn. Now within range, Twilight lets loose a powerful stream of fire that engulfed anything in its way. Not wanting to be outmaneuvered by magic, the Nazi rushed into battle, trigger happy with his shotguns. Forgoing accuracy for power, no zombie could get close to him. The ponies knew what guns were capable of since he explained the mechanics to them earlier, but witnessing the devastation at hand was nearly overwhelming. The scent of gunpowder, the deafening booms with each pull of the trigger accompanied by the maniacal laughter of the Doctor, it all seemed like some sort of twisted symphony of death and cataclysm. Something rather fitting for Richtofen.

"Ha ha, the pieces! The pieces are everywhere!" For a moment, it seemed that the zombie ponies had retreated. However, Twilight realized what was going on and began to inform the team.

"Doctor, its not over yet! The zombies are moving down another street. We have to cut off their attack route. Pinkie Pie will lead the way."

"Aye aye, Twilight! Hee hee, that rhymed a little! Anyway, if we go down Candy Avenue, we should be able to get to the main street in time to greet those smelly meanies. Let's go!" As she bounced her way down said street, the unicorn and human looked at each other before running in her direction.

"You weren't joking around when you described the guns, Doctor Richtofen. And I thought magic was fascinating…"

"Trust me, Ms. Sparkle. This is only the beginning. This Gersch Device I have is one of the best inventions that I haven't created! Oh, the destruction will be marvelous!"

"Gersch? Why does that sound so familiar? It must've been one of those text books…"

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. What were you saying?"

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking aloud. It's a bad habit of mine, heh."

"Oh my, you're going to have to keep that habit in check. There were times where I would think aloud in front of patients without even realizing! As a result, I had to sew their mouth shut, which was fun because I didn't use anesthetics!"

"...What?"

"Guys, we're here! And it looks like those stinky meanies are too!"

"Awww, don't they look so cute and happy just trotting down the street? Too bad don't won't be finishing their little trek." Richtofen pulls out a metal disc that was strapped to his back, pushing a few buttons here and there. The Gersch Device whirred to life as he held it in his hands, ready to toss. "Ponies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce to you the portable teleporter!" With a flick of his wrist, the Gersch Device was released from his grip and landed near the ever moving zombie ponies. As it hit the ground, it opened up what appeared to be a black hole, sucking in all of the undead and presumably killing them. Much to Twilight's surprise, she felt very little gravitational pull, despite it visibly dragging the zombies to their doom.

"Ooooh, those are some pretty flashy lights!" Pinkie Pie began to hop towards the singularity, much to the fear of the unicorn.

"Pinkie, stop! Don't go in the black hole!" But it was too late. Right as the pink earth pony entered the light, the portal closed. "You… you killed Pinkie…" Mesmerized by the destructive technology that the humans have crafted, she failed to realize that the Doctor had announced it to be a teleporter. The unicorn felt her heart sink lower and lower as the thought of a dead Pinkie Pie began to sink in.

"Boo!" Twilight shrieked in response before finding a familiar pink pony right behind her.

"You, you're alive! Oh, thank goodness you're alive!"

"Of course I'm alive, silly! Its not like you hurt yourself when you teleport, I think."

"I set the Device so that it may transport living things. Somehow, I just knew that Pinkie would find the flashy lights irresistible." Richtofen explained, placing much emphasis on the "flashy lights." Pinkie only gave a nervous chuckle in reply. "Well, with that out of the way, why don't we find some magic text for me to study up on? Given enough time, I can create some machinery from spare parts. But with the aid of spells, who knows what I can craft? Ooo, just thinking about tickles my special place! I cannot wait until we start the process of…" Now recovered from her shock, Twilight could only roll her eyes at Richtofen's childlike behavior. She looked towards Pinkie Pie who seemed to be absorbing every single word of the Doctor's rant.

"Richy, what's your 'special place'?"

* * *

AN:Pinkie Pie would definitely make weird nicknames for them! The title of this chapter was inspired by a progressive metal band by the same name.


	5. The Destined Encounter

Ascend Through Darkness Ch. 5 The Destined Encounter

It had been a solemn and dark occasion for all of the Apple family. From losing crops to losing family members, the days were getting bleaker with each passing moment. With the arrival of the humans, everypony was able to minimize casualties. However, a loss was still a loss. As the caskets carrying the fallen members of the Apple family lowered into the plots, everypony remained silent. A day had not even passed when Takeo was acquainted with these ponyfolk and yet they invited him into the funeral proceeding that was normally reserved for close friends. He was touched that they accepted him so easily, though he did have his suspicions that it had something to do with his prowess in killing. Nonetheless, he accepted their invitation out of courtesy. Sitting next to the only ponies he was familiar with, he took note of the large attendance, despite it only being the family and himself.

"I could've sworn there were fewer ponies before…" he thought to himself. He stopped himself from looking around to prevent from looking rude. Takeo looked to his right to gauge Big Mac's reaction to all this. He was stoic as ever, but this time, he had a hint of sorrow in his features. He was a pony of few words, much like Takeo. To his left, he found Applejack comforting Applebloom who was crying softly into her big sister's flank. It had only been a few hours since he had seen the little filly so strong and vibrant. She was still a child, however, and reacted to the deaths of loved ones as such. Though the whole funeral was about half an hour, it felt like days. Everything just seemed to slow down around Sweet Apple Acres. Death was nothing new to anyone, but it still hits hard when it happens. With the burials finally over, Applejack and Takeo made their way back to the town square to regroup with the rest of their allies. For the most part, the trek was quiet, neither pony nor human hardly uttered a word to each other. Though he kept his cool on the outside, he was in a tumultuous mindset. He vowed to protect the Apple family with his life, and yet he failed in doing so. In his eyes, a failure of this magnitude was unforgivable.

"Applejack-san," he took a brief pause, as if to consider what words to use. "I am sorry for the deaths of your family. I was too weak to prevent such tragedies. Will you forgive me?" Now facing the earth pony, he bowed out of respect to her. Though she remained unaware to Japanese customs, Applejack felt the regret and sadness emanating from him, even if he didn't show through emotions or expressions.

"Oh, don't be so harsh on yerself, sugarcube. Everypony did what they could. Nothin' more, nothin' less…" Tears began to well in her eyes as she sighed to relieve some of the pressure off her chest. "The only thin' we can do is to watch out fer each other. Ya know, to ensure the future and all…"

"It would only sadden our ancestors if we were to die in such a dishonorable way. Mark my words, Applejack-san. I will do as much as I can and then some to rid Equestria of this plague!" She could only smile at the almost obnoxious confidence that Takeo had.

"Thank ya kindly, Takeo. Its awfully nice of a stranger such as yerself to offer aid to Ponyville."

"It is the least I can do for your hospitality. Think nothing of my services."

"If ya say so. In any case, let's hurry up. I'm pretty sure everypony else is at the town square by now."

* * *

With the attacks over, it was time for Ponyville to rebuild barricades, and recover from the aftermath. No one was exempt from the exhausting work. Even the foals were helping the adults with their tasks. From harvesting food to nursing the injured, there were a wide variety of jobs to complete before sundown. However, there was a structure that remained as a beacon of hope to the citizens of Ponyville. The town square itself remained relatively untouched by the chaos. It still retained its beauty, acting as a sanctuary for those who have lost their homes or families. The pavilion held important documents which pertained to historical moments and political topics. It was here that the humans awaited their new pony acquaintances that went off to grab something to eat. But, the tranquility did not last. Despite their impeccable teamwork, the quartet of humans still hated each other to an extent.

"You know, Takeo, I actually appreciated you more when you're not here."

"The feeling's mutual, Russian dog. I'd have preferred you drown yourself in vodka away from my presence."

"Ladies, can we stop the bitching for once? I mean, I want to kill as much as the next guy, but these ponies sure know how to live. R and R doesn't sound so bad when you've got ponies to talk to."

"I could have put that in a more eloquent way, Dempsey. But, for the first time in your life, you are correct. Ponyville reminds me of those quaint villages back in Germany where I would used to gather small woodland creatures and experiment. Ah, those truly were the days."

"You know, speaking of ponies, where are the girls at? They sure are taking their sweet ass time."

"Dempsey, take it from Nikolai when he says this; women love to make men wait. I should know, I've got shitload of ex-wives."

"Hmph, I'm not so sure about that. I mean, yeah, Rainbow Dash is quite a bitch, but she's alright. I just don't see her as the type to make anyone wait."

"I can only hope that they come back soon. The magicks, it sounds wunderbar! I wish to learn more about it! So many mechanisms I can create within a short amount of time! Fffffff… I cannot contain myself."

"Ew, what the fuck, man? Screw this, I'm walking around town."

"Suit yourself, Dempsey. I've never enjoyed your company. Ever." The American responded by flipping the bird at Richtofen before standing up and leaving the pavilion. "Good, now that the meathead is gone, I wish to speak to the both of you." Both the Japanese and the Russian looked at each other before turning back to the Nazi.

"What is so important that only we should know? Does it have something to do with vodka?"

"No, nothing like that. You know, I wasn't joking when I said I am able to create some fancy tools. With so many resources at my disposal, my gift of creation will truly flow! It will be wunderbar…"

"I do not doubt your genius, Doctor. But, what else will you be able to make?"

"Takeo, I am glad you asked. For one, I can recreate the Pack-a-Punch machine. It is German ingenuity, after all. With spare parts and a touch of the magicks, I can also create automated turrets that specifically targets zombies. Oh, the list goes on and on and on! But Dempsey must not know! Why? I hate him. I even hate his eyes. So no treats for the poor American soldier." Though Nikolai was a bit hesitant, the three eventually agreed upon that. Takeo then stood up from his chair and began stretching.

"A walk doesn't sound so bad right now. Maybe this place has more to offer than what meets the eye." The Japanese then exited the building, leaving Nikolai and Richtofen alone. Soon, the Russian gets up as well.

"I'm getting thirsty. I do not want to finish all of my vodka, in case their alcohol is weak. Richtofen, come with me and help me find the bar. My buzz is still going on and I'd like to keep it that way."

* * *

Everywhere Takeo had looked, there was some sort of activity going on. Whether it was reconstruction or shopping, Ponyville was bustling. He couldn't help but smile at the fact that there was some semblance to a normal life, despite them going through a crisis. Perhaps there was more honor in ponyfolk than he had originally thought. He continued to aimlessly walk around, despite receiving a previous tour courtesy of Twilight Sparkle and her friends. Lost in his own thoughts, he did not really mind not having a destination.

"_I cannot help but wonder whether Richtofen is telling us the whole truth about Gersch,_" he thought to himself. "_And if Gersch really does know about this place, there may be other humans in Equestria. If that is true, our zombie problem may have escalated into other realities thanks to that Device. I can only hope that Equestria's problem isn't as big as ours at this point…"_

"Takeo? What are ya doin' out here?" The human in question looked up to find that he was at the Sugarcube Corner. He then turned to the pony who addressed him to find that Applejack and Rarity were seated at one of the outdoor tables.

"Oh, Applejack-san, Rarity-san. Forgive me, I couldn't stand being around Nikolai."

"Ugh, tell me about it. And I thought those diamond dogs had bad breath." Rarity replied, while flipping her mane.

"Well, don't just stand there being silly! Pull up a chair and sit with us." Complying with the earth pony, Takeo sat cross-legged on one of the straw cushions. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that the unicorn was eyeing him in an unusual way.

"Is my presence offensive to you, Rarity-san?"

"Oh no, not at all! Sorry for staring at you like that, I was just studying your figure, that's all."

"Um, thank you?"

"Haha, no not like that. Ya see, Rarity here is a clothing designer. Her shop, The Carousel Boutique, is just down the street. Though she makes incredibly girly outfits, y'all gotta admit their always good quality."

"Why thank you for your kind words, Applejack," she replied somewhat sarcastically. "Takeo, would you be a dear and stand up so that I can get your measurements?"

"Certainly. But why are you making us a new outfit? Can't you just restore our old clothing?"

"Please, Takeo. You want to look nice for the Princesses, don't you? I don't think she will regard you highly if you present yourself to her in tattered, bloodstained clothing. Oh, and don't worry about payment. Your services in destroying the undead are more than enough, darling."

"Well, if you say so. If I may make one request for my outfit; nothing too frilly or feminine. I'd like to keep my masculinity in one piece."

"Nonsense, dear. I wouldn't even DREAM of putting pink on you. It just isn't your color. No, something darker. Or perhaps we can add a splash of white here and there? Oh no, that would look so awkward…" Her ranting became muted as the unicorn began to more or less talk to herself. The measuring tape that magically hovered around Takeo's form slithered here and there, taking every measurement of his body as humanely possible. Applejack merely stared at the sight with an amused expression. Thankfully, neither pony nor human had to wait long for Rarity to come to a conclusion.

"Ah hah! This is perfect. I must get to work right away! I'll meet up with everypony at the town square when I've finished. See you soon, guys!" After packing her belongings, she trotted off after waving good bye to Applejack and Takeo. Once more, the duo finds themselves alone in each other's company.

"Heh, its kinda funny how we always bump into each other." Applejack spoke not out of discomfort, but rather stating it in a more relaxed tone.

"Hm, indeed we do. Perhaps we were destined to fight together through all this."

"I can believe that. Say, Tak, I've been meanin' to ask you, but there hasn't been a proper time until now. Can I see your gun?" He nods and unstraps the AK74fu2 from his back. He turned the safety on, so that no accidents happen. Placing it on the table, the pony stared at the mechanism in a curious fashion, looking at it from different angles. Clumsily, she balanced the gun in her hooves, attempting to get a feel for it. After seeing Takeo using the weapon, she tried to imitate his earlier actions by aiming down the sight. This proved to be difficult as she did not have hands, let alone opposable thumbs. Now satisfied with her inspection, she handed the mechanism back to its original owner.

"Golly, that's the darndest thing I've ever seen so far. It makes quite the racket too. Mah ears are still ringin' from the last time you fired that gun of yours."

"Its something you have to get used to. You know, Doctor Richtofen will be able to create more of our machinery to further aid in the defense of Ponyville. If all goes well, your beloved town will be saved that much faster."

"Well, that sounds fantastic! What kinds of wacky inventions y'all had in mind?"

"For starters, he said he would create automated turrets that would attack zombies only. I am sure he has more than just that in mind, of course."

"While that all sounds fine and dandy, how long will it take for him to crank these machines out? I reckon we won't have to wait long, right?"

"He said to me that with the aid of the unicorns, he would be able to create these machinations at a much quicker pace than usual. I can only begin to fathom what is going on in that man's head at this point."

"Sounds like he could use a little muscle in that workshop. Where can we find Richtofen so we can help out the poor guy?"

"I am not entirely sure. But, he seems to have taken an interest in Nikolai. Going by that, those two should be in the local bar."

"Then the local waterin' hole it is! We'll be there in a jiffy!"

* * *

Dear Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,

This letter comes bearing great news. Recently, four humans had unexpectedly arrived via a teleportation device. With them, they brought wondrous alien technology that I have never seen before. The citizens of Ponyville had already dubbed them our savior. If it is okay, I wish to request for an audience with both your highnesses. I await your reply with bated breath.

Sincerely, your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle

"My dear sister, these humans that Twilight speaks of, are they not the ones you spoke of before?

"I'm afraid so, sister. These are the ones that Samantha and Gersch spoke of. I fear that the only cure to this madness would be to stop it at the source."

"So, the worst case scenario has come true. I should've known sooner when our spells had very little effect on curing the 'disease.'"

"No longer can anypony label it as a disease, Celestia. This is something far more diabolical."

"Indeed it is, Luna. We'd better hasten with the reply. The sooner we get the little things out of the way, the faster we can alleviate our fair land of this hell."

* * *

"What? Whaddaya mean I've had enough?"

"Forgive me, sir. But you were already inebriated when you entered this establishment. The fact that I even allowed you to drink further is an act of mercy, or wickedness, depending on how you look at it."

"Bah, your shitty alcohol isn't even strong enough to knock down this Soviet! I bet I can get wasted faster on tap water! Fuck this, I'm outta here!" With that, Nikolai stormed out of the bar, only to bump into Takeo. "Guh, even in my shitfaced state, trees resemble Takeo. That's how much I hate him."

"Nikolai, are you so drunk now that you cannot recognize what is reality and what is not?" Brushing off the invisible grime from their collision, the Russian slowly stands back up with wobbling legs. He stares at the "tree" for a while longer before scrunching his nose in disgust.

"You dare cross paths with Nikolai, and now you try to insult me? Of course I'm drunk! But I'm not drunk drunk! Step aside so I can find more beverages before I decide to piss on you."

"Calm your liver, Russian dog. Where is Doctor Richtofen?" Unfortunately, his words were ignored as the Soviet diverted his attention to Applejack, who was watching the scene unfold between the humans. The earth pony returned the glare she received from the drunkard.

"Hm, why does pony have apples on butt? Or maybe apples ARE the butt? Anatomy wasn't always my strongest subject."

"For your information, mister, mah cutie mark ain't on mah butt! Its on mah flank, see?" She wiggled said flank at Nikolai for a better look. However, his attention span quickly ran out as he turned towards Takeo once more.

"Richtofen said that he went to the Sparkly Library or something like that. Now then, if you would kindly get the fuck out of my way, I can get somewhere!" Not wanting to drag the scene any further, Takeo and Applejack stepped aside for Nikolai. Once he was out of earshot, the earth pony gave out a frustrated whinny.

"I can see why you don't like that fella so much. He just asks for trouble."

"Yes, I share your sentiments regarding the Russian. Anyway, what is this 'Sparkly Library' he spoke of?"

"Oh, he probably meant Twilight's library. Let's get going." As they walked over to their new destination, Takeo had begun to feel the stares from passerbys once more. Though he was used to being a spectacle, it started to irk him slightly. Much to Takeo's delight, the library was not far. It wasn't long before the duo find themselves in front of the library steps. Applejack knocked on the door a couple of times.

"Just a minute," a feminine voice said from within. The door swung open to reveal an incredibly jovial Twilight Sparkle. "Oh, hello Applejack and Takeo! Come on in." Ushering in her new guests, she quietly closed the door shut behind them.

"Howdy, Twilight. We came here to find Richtofen."

"You're just in luck! He should be somewhere in the library, most likely researching on magic. Just follow the trail of books and you should find him."

"Where's Spike? I thought he'd be here cleanin' up after y'all." A visible blush appeared on the unicorn's cheeks as she gave an embarrassed chuckle.

"Uh, well, he's with the Doctor right now. Apparently, he's messier than me. Anyway, make yourselves at home. I still have some cleaning up to do around here." As she busied herself with putting the books back in their original shelves, the duo wandered deeper into her library. Applejack herself hardly ever went down into the basement, where the library seemed to have extended. Downstairs, they find Richtofen who was currently buried in a few stacks of books along with Spike who was still busy tidying up after the Doctor.

"Good day Doctor," Takeo called out. "Will you need some assistance with your devices? Applejack and I will gladly help you."

"Oh ja, we will definitely need some muscle to lift the machinery. With the materials on hand right now, I should be able to create enough Automated Magical Turrets, or AMT, to secure the perimeter around Ponyville. Once they're set up, this quaint town will no longer have to fear the zombies!"

"That's the best news I've heard all day! So why aren't y'all getting' to it?"

"Patience, my four legged friend. I still must do more research on the magics! If we use the wrong type of spell, the AMT could easily implode, leaving a rather nasty crater in its wake. As beautiful as that would be, I don't like it when my creations does something it was not meant to do." With his task done, Spike walked towards the new arrivals to greet them.

"Sup, AJ. And you must be Takeo. A pleasure to meet you. The name's Spike." He extended one of his hands to the human, who shook it contentedly. He then led the two to the table where Richtofen was studying. They were soon joined by Twilight who had finished cleaning upstairs.

"A young dragon in the midst of ponies? Ho ho ho, Equestria truly is a wondrous place! You know, in many parts of Asia, dragons such as yourself are revered as gods and deities!"

"Oh, well I'm definitely gonna have to visit this 'Asia' sometime soon! Richtofen here has been telling me a lot about Germany. This 'Hitler' fellow he keeps speaking of sounds like a strange ruler, if you ask me."

"Ja, he was an eccentric leader. Brought Germany out of economic depression, too. Ms. Sparkle, what on earth is this spell?"

"This is a transmutation spell. Its one of the more difficult ones to master. Did you have something in mind?" The Nazi placed a finger on his chin and looked up at the ceiling. Then, realization dawned upon him as he knew what he could do with such a spell.

"The magics! I have found it!" His exclamation got everyone's attention. "Takeo, do you know what this means?"

"Er, I'm afraid I don't."

"With this transmutation spell, I should be able to recreate the Pack-a-Punch machine! Except, I can give it my own personal tweaks! In fact, I still have the blueprints memorized for it. Yes, this will be glorious! No longer will we be scrounging for ammo."

"While this sounds like good news and all, but what is a pa- uh oh. I feel a letter coming in!" Letting out a huge belch, fire emanated from Spike's mouth before forming into what appeared to be a scroll.

"It's a letter from the Princesses!" Twilight exclaimed. Wasting no time, Spike unfurled the scroll and began to read out loud.

"Dear Twilight Sparkle, I am happy to hear the news regarding the safety of Ponyville. I would love to meet these heroes you speak so highly of. Your request shall be fulfilled. Our meeting shall take place one hour from now. I hope to see you all soon. Sincerely, Princess Celestia. P.S. Captain Storm shall provide you with the ride to Canterlot. I have already sent a letter to him as well. Also Sincerely, Princess Luna."

"My, aren't we getting popular, Takeo? Well, one hour is plenty of time to get ready."

"Speaking of which, Rarity is making custom outfits for all of us. Why don't we pay her shop a visit before we leave for Canterlot?"

* * *

The city of Canterlot was home to mostly unicorns with a dash of earth ponies here and there. The only ways to access the mountainside city was via pegasus carriage or hot air balloon. Although they were Royal Pegasus Guards, they also played a role as pullers for the carriages. Usually, this would be reserved for royalty or special guests. The humans were no strangers to flying; it was the method of flight which they found rather peculiar. Despite being acquainted with pegasus ponies, they were still enthralled by their power of flight.

"Man, this is a lot smoother than an airplane, that's for sure." Dempsey said. Twilight gave him a curious look.

"What is an airplane?" she asked.

"It's a flying vehicle with wings that runs on gas and high speed propellers. I'm not entirely sure how it works, but it does. I've parachuted out of one myself. Gotta admit, freefalling is the shit." Their conversation of flying and heights continued on until Canterlot came into view. The carriage descended until it landed on one of the landing strips. Everyone had filed out of the carriage and began to take in the sight around them. They had landed at the Royal Palace. The humans looked to and fro, absorbing every detail they could find. Like most of the architecture, it strongly resembled human buildings. This time, it seemed to have been inspired by European castles.

"I'll guide you to the chambers." Captain Storm said curtly. As he led the group through the long winding halls of the palace, the humans were in awe once more as they saw the interior. The sunlight shining through the stained glass windows gave off a brilliant display of colors. However, the scenery did little to reflect the mood of the Captain. "Ever since the disaster started, many ponies of different races had taken refuge in Canterlot," Storm began. "Thanks to the efforts of Princesses Celestia, Luna, and the Royal Pegasus Guards, Canterlot remains a safe haven for those more unfortunate ponies. However, times have grown more tumultuous. Attacks had become more frequent everywhere else. If every city falls, what would be the point of ruling over a dead Equestria? Although I still do not trust you humans, I fear you may be the key to our survival."

"Frankly speaking, you don't sound too happy about that fact." Takeo replied. The male pegasus remained quiet. After a few minutes of walking, Takeo caught a glimpse of Rarity, who appeared to be forlorn. She was unable to finish the outfits for everyone. Instead, at the urgings of her friends, she fixed up and cleaned their old clothing. And she seemed so sure of those suits too…

"There will always be next time, no?" He gave a small smile to her. She visibly brightened at his gesture.

"Thank you, Takeo. If only a certain someone were more like you." Thankfully, Nikolai didn't catch the hint. He continued to drink from his seemingly bottomless vodka bottle, not caring that he was about to meet the rulers of this land. After some time walking, the group finally reached a pair of elegant doors that towered far above them. Captain Storm knocked on the ornate doors three times before they swung open with an audible creak.

"We're here. I expect everypony to be on their best behavior." The red carpet that stretched out in front of them came to a halt at two thrones. Their current occupants wore expressions of infinite patience. More of the Guards remained at their side, most likely to protect them from harm. The group slowly walked up to the Princesses. Once they were at the steps, everypony bowed down to their sovereigns. The humans, however, remained standing. This elicited rage into the Captain.

"How dare you not recognize royalty! You'd best know your place, curs!" he shouted. But before anything could be done, Princess Luna raised a hoof to stop him. Begrudgingly, he stepped back, not wanting to disobey her orders.

"You may rise now," Celestia said in her motherly tone. "So, this is the ruckus that everypony's been talking about. I am Princess Celestia, and to my side is my beloved sister, Princess Luna," She nodded her head at the humans. "We've heard many a great deeds you have done for Ponyville. Allow me on Equestria's behalf to thank each and every one of you for aiding us. Would it be too much trouble for your names?"

"The name's Tank Dempsey."

"I am Nikolai Belinski."

"Takeo Masaki."

"Doctor Edward Richtofen at your service." Celestia looked to Luna and began to whisper into her ear. Their faces remained expressionless, and her voice too soft to make out any words. The sisters turned towards the humans once more.

"As much as I'd love to get know you personally, royal duties call. Instead, Princess Luna will fill in for me at my behest," The sovereign of night stood up from her throne, and beckoned the humans to follow her. "While they are talking, I wish to speak to Twilight and her friends myself." Upon their mentioning, the remaining group perked up and walked a little closer to Celestia.

"What is it you wish to speak of, Your Majesty?"

* * *

They were now outside the castle. Passing through the gardens, the humans noted that their flora and fauna were also similar to that of earth. And yet, there were also notable differences in each animal's behavior, as if they were almost sentient. Once more, all eyes were upon them as they reached an opening in the royal gardens, complete with benches. Luna sat down on one of them.

"Please, have a seat," once they were all situated comfortably, she resumed. "I know how the four of you got here. Gersch guided you to Ponyville, did he not?" This elicited a surprised response from the quartet.

"You knew Gersch," Richtofen stated. "Then that must mean we are not the first humans to set foot on Equestria."

Luna giggled. "Not exactly, Doctor Richtofen. You see, Gersch is actually a unicorn." Once again, the humans shouted out their surprise.

"Wait, hold on a minute there, toots. You mean you're saying that this Gersch was never a human, but a unicorn?" She nodded in reply to Dempsey's question.

"But that doesn't add up! In the radio messages he was clearly interacting with other human scientists. I'm quite positive that they wouldn't be so accepting of a talking pony."

"You are right, Takeo. That is why he crafted a spell to transform himself into one of you. I think it would be best if I started from the beginning, if you don't mind." The humans nodded. It was the explanation that they needed. "Gersch was the head unicorn in Canterlot's research group. He was responsible for overseeing most of the projects that the scientists were undergoing. A well respected colt amongst his peers, he was incredibly popular. Everypony enjoyed his company, even if they didn't understand what he was saying half the time. While this was all fine and dandy, Gersch had a different side to him. You see, he was undergoing a top secret project funded by the Royal family to develop certain tools. One of these tools was the Gersch Device, though its original purpose was to merely act as a teleporting catalyst for earth ponies and pegasus ponies. He even managed to open gates to other worlds with the tool. At the time, no pony believed him. But the higher ups knew better, and therefore, continued to fund his projects. It wasn't long before he discovered your world, the human world. His successful assimilation into your world was September 1, 1939."

"Ah, yes, that was the date Germany invades Poland and Slovakia, thus sparking World War 2. I was a part of the invasion, you know."

"But, something had happened to his device. There was a malfunction which prevented him from returning to Equestria. For 3 decades, he was trapped. From the reports that I've read so far, it seemed he was desperate to get back to Canterlot. Either from homesickness or from the fear of war, I cannot say. He tried everything, but magic worked differently in your world. He stayed in his human form not only out of convenience, but simply because he could not find a way to turn back into his original form. Anyway, it was the last few years where it all comes together for everypony. You see, he was nearing in completion of his Gersch Device. Though still in its development stages, it was apparent that he would be returning home soon. However, Yuri Kravcheski, who was possessed by Samantha Maxis at the time, tricked Gersch and used his own device against him."

"Sam? How do you know of her?" Doctor Richtofen's outburst was sudden, but Luna remained calm.

"I will get to that part soon, Doctor. Anyway, after being sucked into the black hole, he ended up nowhere, literally. He no longer existed, yet still held a firm grip upon reality. I suppose you could've called him a ghost at that time. It was here when I first met him in my own imprisonment on the moon."

"The moon," Takeo questioned. "How were you imprisoned there?" It was then that the humans noticed Luna's expression turned to that of sorrow.

"I was punished, by my sister. For millennia I remained there alone, until I met Sam and Gersch. The little girl told me all she knew about the four of you. Your back stories, the reasons for fighting your own zombie apocalypse, everything was divulged unto me. It was my first time ever laying eyes upon a human, let alone talking to one. Anyway, she told me that Equestria would soon fall under the same predicament as Earth. At first, I was skeptical. I mean, would you be so willing as to trust a strange creature you've never seen before? But, she showed me the evidence. She showed me Element 115."

"Impossible! That element can only be found in comets and meteors that collided upon Earth!"

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong, Doctor. 115 is also located on the very same moon that I raise every night. Somehow, a piece of the moon fell upon Equestria. Even to this day, I am still trying to figure out this mystery. I suppose from there on, some ponies got a hold of the rock and began to conduct experiments on it. There was quite a bit of magical energy emanating from it, so it's safe to assume that unicorns were also behind it. There was another reason that led me to believe in the words of Sam. Gersch himself confirmed the cataclysmic terror that you see before us now. During his time on Earth, he had also run into the Element, just like you four did. This element is one of the primary sources of your alien technology, is it not?"

"Just what you see now. We have other fuel sources readily available on Earth."

"Hm, according to Gersch, you guys used it in almost everything. In any case, he spoke to me of the detrimental effects of 115. As you know, it reanimates dead cells, effectively reviving the dead. Everything would've gone smoothly had they been easy to control. But they went berserk, and killed everything. Isn't that what happened to Group 935, Doctor?" He kept his silence, not wanting to reveal too much about himself. "After he told me everything he found out, I lost contact with him. My time on the moon was up, and I had a duty to fulfill. I descended upon Equestria in the hopes that I can overtake my beloved sister, and save our beautiful world. Alas, my efforts were for naught, as I was defeated once again. But, it wasn't all bad news. After revealing everything to Princess Celestia, she began a secret campaign against the undead, before they even surfaced. It was because of this we were able to save whole cities, and prevent casualties from mounting to high numbers. Unfortunately, to this day, neither of us had found the source of Element 115 yet."

"Wait a minute; you said you knew of our arrival. But Gersch and Sam were your only connections to humans, and you lost them. I try to put two and two together, but its not adding up. Oy, all this thinking is making me thirsty."

"Well, right after you released Gersch from his prison, the device that you previously tossed at him opened the way back to Equestria, his original home. Before you arrived in Ponyville, Gersch entered Canterlot in a similar fashion. Immediately, he rushed to the Palace to inform us of your entrance."

"Now that leaves just one question; where the fuck is Gersch now?" A rather decrepit unicorn emerges from the opening in the hedges, accompanied by two of the Pegasus Guards. His mane and tail were already a dull gray, and his once brown pelt was growing lighter. The more prominent features were his horn which was abnormally long for a unicorn of his size, and his cutie mark which was a thick tome complete with a book mark. Slowly, he began to talk in his unmistakable Russian accent.

"I am here."

* * *

AN: Though it seems I'm focusing a little too much on the humans, I must make the connection at the very least plausible.


	6. BeLIEfs

Ascend Through Darkness Chapter 6 BeLIEfs

Princess Celestia looked each and every pony in the eyes before continuing her conversation with them. All of them notably fidgeted, despite their familiarity with each other. She spoke once more, garnering their undivided attention.

"It is about the Elements of Harmony. As you know they are one of the most powerful forms of magic ever known in Equestria. At one point, I was considering unleashing its power to free us from this chaos. But alas, I believe there is no longer a need for that." This caught the gang's surprise.

"What do you mean by that, Princess?" Twilight asked. If anypony was more astonished, it would be her. The unicorn knew of the immense power that the Elements of Harmony. It easily brought Nightmare Moon to her knees, after all. But now, Princess Celestia was asking them to not use such a powerful tool? It didn't make much sense in her mind, but she had faith in her mentor. She had rule Equestria for over a millennia for a reason. Celestia smile softly at her pupil's inquiry.

"Yes, I will explain myself now. I fear time may not be on our side in this battle. All of you have witnessed the strength and intuitiveness of the humans, correct? I'll be honest with everypony here, if the humans decide to turn on us now, we will be powerless to stop them." Once more, everypony's eyes widened at her statements. However, Rainbow Dash decided to make her disdain apparent.

"How can that be possible? I mean, yeah, their technology is advanced and all, but we got the power of flight and magic on our side! With Princess Celestia and Princess Luna with us, those humans wouldn't even THINK of doing something fishy!" The alicorn shook her head in a way a mother would at her child's silly suggestions.

"Applejack, you have witnessed the marksmanship of Takeo, have you not?" At the mention of her name, the earth pony slightly jumped.

"Golly, you mean when he took down them flying varmints? I do recall not hearing as many shots when compared to the other times he fired."

"Do you see where I am going with this, Rainbow Dash? Even with the greater speed and mobility of the pegasus ponies, the humans' reaction time and aiming will be far too quick. They'll just pick off everypony from the sky, as horrible as that sounds. Though I am not entirely sure how effective magic would be, it will still be grueling." The rainbow pegasus's shoulders slunk, now knowing her key advantage would prove useless against them. "In any case, the reason I do not want you girls to use the Elements is because of them. If they were to witness such incredible power, I am quite positive they will try and take it for themselves. I may be no expert on the subject of humans, but from what I could gather from Gersch's reports, it seems that their specialty revolves around war, treachery, and killing. These are all things Equestria has not seen for quite some time. Especially on a global scale like this."

"So what will you have us do, Your Majesty?" Rarity questioned.

"Are you familiar with the saying, 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend?' From what we've seen so far, the humans are opposed to these zombies. Open support is apparent between us and them. As long as we can keep them on our side, we have no reason to fear betrayal of them. In other words, the Elements of Harmony will not be needed, for we have powerful allies and their technology on our side."

"Are ya tryin' to say we let them do most of the dirty work? I mean, I do appreciate their help and all, but it just don't seem right." Celestia momentarily turned her head away from the gang, almost ashamed at what she was about to say.

"No matter how you rephrase it, nothing will make it sound righteous. Even with magic, our forces dwindle. The moment this battle for survival becomes a war of attrition, all will be lost. In Equestria's weakened state, the casualties will mount to substantial numbers. We were just simply not ready for this. This is why Equestria is in dire need of them, of their technology. As ruler, it is in my best interest to keep everypony safe from harm, likewise with our fair lands. If it means laying my life on the line, then so be it."

"You are so focused on your duties as a ruler that you begin to neglect your own personal safety. Nasty habits are hard to kick, eh sister?" Everypony turned to Princess Luna, who was leaning against the opening which led to the gardens.

"I take it they've finally met Gersch?" The mare of the night walked towards her throne and sat down upon it.

"That's correct, and it appears they are working on a strategy to help save Equestria as well. For now, all we can do is wait."

"As I was saying, the humans will be the main force, being on the frontlines. We will provide support to them in any way we can. We want to keep our casualties to a minimum. The more needless deaths there are the less chance we have of surviving this catastrophe. Though it may sound underhooved, this is the best way to go about it. I hope you can at least see where I am coming from with this."

"Though we may not have your centuries of knowledge or experience, we will support your ways. If anything, there's always a good reason for your actions. Right girls?" They all shouted and raised a hoof in the air in approval. Celestia's happy demeanor returned after seeing this display.

"Thank you, girls. Now, I am sure you are all tired from the day's work. My guards will guide you to your chambers. And don't worry about Ponyville; I sent reinforcements. Rest up, for tonight will be very busy." Once the group left, Celestia let out a sigh she was unaware of holding in.

"Something wrong, sis?"

"How did this happen? Even with our combined strength, it was not enough to protect our land. Luna, where did we go wrong?"

"Are you truly Celestia? The sister that I admire and love would never wallow in pity, especially during dire times such as now! What has gotten into you?" Celestia couldn't help but smile at her little sister's banter. It was one of the quirks that only Luna would reveal to family.

"Sorry for worrying you like that. I just hope that we did the right thing in trusting these humans."

"They could easily work on their manners, but their heart's in the right place. However, we must look out for that Doctor Richtofen. We mustn't allow him too much access to our magical tomes."

"Did Sam warn you about him?"

"In a sense, Richtofen was the one that started it all. No, not just Richtofen, it was Group 935 that was also responsible."

"And they're all dead. But we cannot kill him outright. Though he is evil, we are facing something far more sinister today."

"Let us bide our time for now Celestia. We'd better go over the files to see if we didn't overlook anything."

* * *

Rarity had never been inside the Royal Palace before. It was one of her dreams as a filly to visit such a magnificent place. The unicorn had lived the dream, but it was somewhat down trodden by the events that have been happening so far. As she drifted from hallway to hallway, Celestia's words haunted her thoughts. Before this mess, underhooved and Celestia would never be in the same sentence. But now, it seemed to her that the times are changing. For better or worse, she could not say. Rarity could only imagine how Twilight must be handling all of this. With concern overwhelming her, the unicorn walked faster through the corridors to Twilight's chambers. By asking a few guards for directions, she was able to find her room with relative ease. Hesitantly, she knocked a few times before waiting for a response.

"Who is it?" came a soft reply.

"Its me, Rarity." The shuffling of hoofsteps could be heard before the door opened. Twilight ushered her friend in before closing the door behind her.

"What's up? Do you need a tour of the place?"

"No, that's not it. I wish to speak to you about Princess Celestia." Twilight's ears lowered as did her eyelids. She was upset, just as Rarity predicted.

"Oh, I see. Is it about-"

"Yes, it is. If anything, I believe it is you who wishes to speak about her." The girls moved onto the bed, which was more than capable of supporting both of them. The soft downy feel of the bed felt marvelous against Rarity's form, but she wasn't paying attention to that.

"This isn't the Celestia that I remembered. She was kind and benevolent; she would never stoop to such levels! The Princess would even go as far as protecting the humans, despite them not being of this world. So, why? Why would she do this? I can't even begin to fathom the reason behind these unjust actions!" Out of frustration, she pounded her forelegs against the bed.

"Now dear, you said so yourself. Princess Celestia has knowledge and experience beyond our comprehension. I dare say she is at least a millennia older than all of us combined! You just need to place more faith in her actions, Twilight."

"I know, but I hate being left in the dark! If I were to assess the situation properly, I would need all the data first. But, no matter what I've deduced so far, I can't come to a conclusion!"

"Are you sure you haven't come to a conclusion yet? Or do you simply want to find the 'best' result?" Twilight raised her eyebrow, a little offended by what her friend had just said.

"What are you getting at, Rarity?" The white unicorn placed a hoof on Twilight's shoulder, attempting to reassure her that she meant no ill will.

"Sometimes, you have to face the ugly facts. Not everypony can see the world through rose tinted glass. Optimism is fine, but one must remain practical in their line of thought. What Princess Celestia is doing right now may not be morally correct right now, but the end may justify the means. Twilight, whatever you do, do not lose sight of your friends and loved ones. Otherwise, you may find yourself alone and distraught."

"Thank you for your words, Rarity. I know I shouldn't get all bent out of shape because of this. I mean, we've got more pressing issues to deal with, right?"

"Correct, darling! Lives are at stake and we cannot afford to remain idle for too long. Why don't we go see if our human friends have come up with a plan yet?"

"Good idea. Perhaps they've got something in mind by now. Let's get everypony else before we leave."

* * *

"Doctor Richtofen, these blueprints are ingenious! We can begin mass producing your AMTs right now. However, the other machines will require more than just magic and metal."

"You don't mean 115, do you? I doubt we can find enough of the element to power up the Pack-a-Punch machine completely."

"That's the unfortunate truth. Until we find more of the element, we will have to put most of your inventions on hold."

"So, what's the good news, docs?"

"Well, Dempsey, I should be able to get all the studious unicorns to help manufacture the turrets. We've enough resources to afford production without hurting the economy too much as well. In other words, we can have Ponyville well protected in less than 2 days."

"Whoa, that sounds like plenty of reason to drink! Too bad alcohol is weak here."

"Those turrets will buy us plenty of time, that's for sure. But what of other places, Gersch? Surely, Ponyville and Canterlot aren't the only ones under attack."

"That is correct, Takeo. Fillydelphia is on the verge of extinction. Cloudsdale seems to be faring well thanks to their natural defenses. Manehattan has reported few attacks, but its only going to get worse for them if nothing is done. In any case, if we manage to deploy those AMTs and set a defensive perimeter around each city, it should be enough to finish the job."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, my fellow genius. We have to ensure that my turrets are foolproof. We must create a few prototypes, experiment with some of the magics, and see which materials go with what. Ponyville will be our testing grounds, seeing that its close with plenty of targets to shoot at."

"For sake of simplicity, we'll use basic spells for the ammunition. As for the materials, you cannot go wrong with Canterlot steel. Because of the environment, our steel is naturally enchanted with magical properties. We shouldn't have to worry about malfunctions there."

"Excellent! You can go on and take those blueprints to the unicorns. We'll gather everyone and tell them of the plans." The elder unicorn levitated the plans into his satchel before making his departure.

"I still cannot believe comrade Gersch was a unicorn all this time. This revelation drives me to drink."

"Hmph, what doesn't drive you to drink? You'll sip that poison on any occasion!"

"Damn straight, Takeo! There is no such thing as no occasion for drink."

"I know you guys ain't from America, but did anyone catch that 'Manhattan' reference? Or am I the only one here?"

"We don't have time to dilly dally here! We must inform the ponies of our plans so that we may deal death to the minions!"

"Richtofen's right. Why don't we send Takeo to get the ladies? I'm sure his 'honor' will guide him through this castle! Hah ha!"

"Yeah, we'll meet up with everybody at the throne room once Tak's done. You'd better hustle!" Before Takeo could even respond, all three of them had pushed him out of the war room. Sighing dejectedly, he shambled slowly through the corridors in an attempt to find the ponies. Once more, thoughts raced around his head in regards to recent events.

"_I still cannot believe that Gersch was a pony all along. His device truly is otherworldly! But that would mean the Nazis came very close to completing their teleporters. Who knows what happened to the world in the 20 years that we were gone? Seeing that Gersch was around since the beginning of World War II, he had plenty of time to get back home. But why did it take him so long if he already had the blueprints to his device? Something just doesn't add up. Perhaps I should talk to him about that soon. Then again, in a sense, he knows more about our world than we do. Those two decades must've been vital if Russia was overrun with zombies. I do hope Japan is faring well…"_

"Howdy, Tak. Watcha doin' hangin' around these hallways?"

"Oh, greetings, Applejack-san. I was on my way to gather everyone. We've come up with a plan to save Equestria!" The earth pony visibly beamed at the good news.

"No kiddin'! Well what are we just standin' around here fer? Let's get to it!" With a little more force than intended, she pushed Takeo towards the opposite direction. "Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are this way. They should still be in their rooms."

"Ha ha, settle down! I walk on two legs, you know."

"Then I'll race ya! C'mon, I know you're faster than ya let on."

"Challenge accepted! This will be a race you cannot win." At the same time, the duo dashed off to determine the victor.

"Ya sure know how to run yer mouth, I'll give ya that!"

"That may be so, but I shall come ahead as the victor!" As they rounded the corner, they spotted Fluttershy who was walking towards them. Letting out a surprised squeak, the pegasus had little time to get out of the way.

"Whoa, watch out!"

"Shimata!*" Applejack weaved her body so as to not crash into the shy mare while Takeo dove right over her. They both skidded to a halt as Fluttershy recovered from her shock.

"Oh my, I didn't mean to get in the way," she spoke softly as she approached the duo. "I'm so sorry. No pony was injured, I hope."

"Nonsense, Fluttershy! We were just lookin' fer the gang, is all."

"Oh, well, I'll tag along, that is, if you don't mind."

"Of course we don't mind. Uh, Fluttershy was it? Anyway, the more the merrier." She slightly blushed at his acceptance.

"You're not as bad as Nikolai made you out to be. Eep, I didn't mean that!" Takeo could only smirk at the bashful antics of Fluttershy. How could such a delicate creature survive all of this?

"Its alright. I understand where you're coming from. But if there's one thing to keep in mind, its this. Take Nikolai's words with a grain of salt. Who knows how much alcohol has influenced his way of thinking."

"I suppose you're right. Oh my goodness! You're bleeding!" They stopped to look at the spot where the injury was. She was pointing at his shoulder where the blood had seeped through the clothing.

"Don't worry about it. Just a flesh wound." However, Fluttershy wasn't paying attention as she hovered in the air to get a better look at the wound.

"Ya know, that's mighty deep for a 'flesh' wound. We'd better get that healed up as soon as possible."

"Applejack's right. Just let me help you, Takeo." Grumbling under his breath, he allowed the pegasus to inspect the damage. "Um, if you don't mind taking off your clothing…" He sighed dejectedly, knowing full well that Fluttershy was just too meek to finish the sentence. Nonetheless, he obliged, revealing his well toned body to the girls.

"Somehow, this feels incredibly inappropriate." He felt the soft touch of hooves as Fluttershy continued her diagnosis. Gently, she stroked the wounds that littered his body, both new and old. It was a gruesome sight for the sensitive pegasus. She couldn't help but tear up.

"Oh, you poor thing," she said in between sobs. "How long have you been suffering like this?"

"Hmph, what you call 'suffering' I deem honor. These are battle scars which remind me of my past triumphs." He abruptly stood up and donned his shirt once more, as if he were almost ashamed of revealing his body to them.

"Y'all got it rough back home, dontcha?"

"Between a world at war and a zombie crisis, I think 'rough' is an understatement. Truth be told, I would rather spend the rest of my life here, in Equestria."

"Well, we'd welcome y'all with open hooves, just to let ya know. Isn't that right, Fluttershy?"

"Um, yes, absolutely."

"Your impulse for kindness truly warms my heart. But, I'll think of the future when our present dilemma is over with. For now, let's just focus on-"

"Hiiiiiii!" Suddenly, some sort of pink entity jumped at Takeo, who instinctively held out his arms to catch it.

"Well, wouldja look at that? We're already halfway through just by standin' here!"

"Hey, Applejack! Hey, Fluttershy! Hey, Taco!" The girls waved back while Takeo did a double take.

"My name isn't 'Taco.' Its Takeo. You're off by one letter." He poked Pinkie Pie in the belly which elicited a giggle.

"Oops, hee hee! But that would've been a funny name!"

"Yes, funny indeed. Can we just move on now and get the rest of the ladies?"

"Couldn't agree with ya more, partner."

"Taco, did I ever tell you about the time we threw this humongous party for Twilight when she first came to Ponyville? Oh, it was so awesome! Everypony was having a blast which made me feel all bubbly and stuff and-"

"Ugh…"

* * *

After gathering all the ponies, Takeo and the gang now find themselves before the throne room once more. Thankfully, Pinkie Pie was no longer cradled in his arms. Instead, a napping Rainbow Dash found a nice comfortable spot on top of his head. She claimed it was to make up for disturbing her nap on what was possibly the best bed she will ever sleep on. Though he minded at first, Takeo began to appreciate Dash's silence save for a soft snore. Though these were ponies he was dealing with, he must remain a gentleman. After all, he was in the presence of six ladies. He rapped at the door before they slowly swung open. Within the throne room were the Princesses, Captain Storm, Gersch, Dempsey, Nikolai, and Richtofen.

"Wake up, Dash. We're here." Takeo softly tapped at the pegasus's side. Groggily, she gets off of the human, albeit at a really slow pace.

"Man, I was having an awesome dream too."

"I see you're quite the gentleman, Takeo." Princess Celestia beamed.

"It's a custom for honorable warriors to also be gentle with ladies of society."

"That is very noble of you. Now that everyone has gathered, our tacticians will be filling us in on their strategies. You may want to get comfortable, girls. This could take a while." She motioned for the ponies to take the vacant seats next to her. Hesitantly (except for Pinkie Pie, of course), they all situated themselves on the chairs. "Gersch, you may begin." After clearing his throat, he walked towards the center to get everyone's attention.

"Alright, our first priority is to ensure the safety of Ponyville. With the arrival of the humans, this would be a simple job. However, things will be made simpler with Doctor Richtofen's AMTs. For those who don't know, it stands for Automated Magical Turrets. What does means is that once these turrets are activated, they will shoot at any zombie that comes within range. Now, the range itself is quite large. It is capable of picking off any zombie within 45 foot radius. Its rate of fire is also notable. I won't bore you with the details of the mechanism, but what we must do is place a few of these AMTs at each main entrance. As for Sweet Apple Acres, we'll have to be a little smarter about placement. Place them in areas where they'll be most effective, but make sure that no apple tree gets in the crossfire. If all goes well, Ponyville will be the most secured town in Equestria."

"And if things do not go well?" Rainbow Dash questioned.

"We can't afford any mistakes at this point. If the turrets go haywire, it will leave a nasty crater in its wake. That is why I have my personal team of unicorns heading the production of the AMTs. Once they prove to be flawless, we'll mass produce them and distribute them to other cities. From there on, we can find the source of this crisis and put an end to it without worrying about the lives of everypony."

"If I may, what are the chances that these AMTs will not self-destruct?" Twilight asked.

"While these AMTs can be capable of firing any spell, there is very little chance that it will malfunction on the simple magic spells. However, as negligible as it is, we cannot ignore the possibility. So, I want everyone on guard. By tomorrow morning, we should be able to make enough for Ponyville. Then, we will see if technology will live up to our expectations." Everyone began to talk amongst themselves as Gersch walked back to his seat. They immediately silenced themselves when Princess Luna took the board.

"Simple and practical. We've no need for something convoluted. Our tacticians have outdone themselves. If something unexpected should come up, we'll be flexible enough to handle the situation. Now then, we should all get some rest. Captain Storm and I will reside in Ponyville, should there be a night attack. We'll meet once more in the morrow. Until then, farewell."

* * *

*Shimata (she-ma-ta) Japanese for shit, or other appropriate outbursts.

AN: Hm, doesn't the title of this chapter look suspicious? Now, next chapter will have more action! Yay!


	7. Unite to Defy

Ascend Through Darkness Chapter 7 Unite to Defy

Night had finally descended upon the long, tiring day. With the sun fully set and the moon high in the sky, it was time for Princess Luna to travel to Ponyville. However, before she could depart, the mare felt a slight tugging on her wings and turned towards the source to find her sister. Luna turned to Captain Storm who quietly understood and left the sisters to their discussion.

"What is the matter, sister?" she inquired.

"Those humans, they have ulterior motives other than to just help us out. I can see it in the Doctor's eyes."

"Thank goodness I wasn't the only pony who noticed it. But it doesn't give us the proof we need. We must wait a while longer."

"I'd be more comfortable if we're dealing with ponies here, Luna. But these are humans, something we've only heard in legends. I simply want everypony to be cautious, including you."

"Yes, I know. That is why I will be asking around town to see how they gauged their new 'saviors.' If all goes well, then Ponyville will be able to rest peacefully for one night."

"One could only hope for the best during these times. Have a safe trip, Luna. I wouldn't want to lose you for good."

"Quite the worrisome elder sister, aren't we, Celestia?"

"I wouldn't be a good one otherwise, right?"

"Heh, too true. I shall return before morning."

* * *

Nighttime inside the Royal Palace had always been peaceful. Hardly any creature stirred in the blissful silence. The night guards made their rounds, usually finding nothing amiss. The only other beings that were awake were Doctor Richtofen and Gersch. After the meeting at the throne room, they had scheduled another meeting just between them within the war room.

"There is one thing that has been nagging at my head for the longest time." Richtofen began.

"Yes, what is it?"

"You may not have known this, but my group and I have been displaced from our original environment twice. Once was at Der Riese where my Wunder Waffe DG-2 overloaded the teleporter which sent us 20 years into the future. The second was when you gave me the coordinates to Ponyville."

"Where are you going with this?"

"Seeing that you've been around since the beginning of World War II, I wish to ask you what had happen in the 2 decades I was gone. Who won the war? Had the conflict resolved? I want every single detail that you can remember." Gersch sighed as he rubbed the sleepiness from his eyes.

"First of all, the world that you have departed from is a dystopia. Ever since you 4 disappeared from Der Riese in that incident, your respective countries erased all files concerning you. The moment you travelled through time was the moment your existence had been wiped out."

"Nein, that's impossible! The fatherland would never leave someone as important as I!"

"Also, because of your disappearance, no one else had been able to contain the zombies. It spread throughout Europe like a rotten cancer. Nearly all of Europe had succumbed to the infestation. The war was no longer about the Allies vs. the Axis. It was more like humankind attempting to fix its own blunders. A truce had been called on all countries to stop fighting amongst each other. This in turn created the United Nations. Or rather, what was left of the world's nations. The major countries that survived included the Americas, Russia, most parts of Africa and Asia, Russia (of course), and Great Britain. We had to resort to nuclear warfare to keep the zombies at bay. And even then, it was not enough."

"Wait a minute. Are you saying because of we accidentally ripped the space-time continuum that the earth just went straight to hell?"

"That's precisely it. The four of you had a mission to complete. Ultimately, you failed. Despite our use of greater technology, the string of element 115 mutated to resist nukes. Sure, the force of the explosion would still destroy them, but the radiation proved to be detrimental. In a sense, we were narrowing the battlefield to the point where the fight was right at everybody's doorsteps. We couldn't traverse the war torn lands without expensive special suits to prevent radiation poisoning. The higher ups were beginning to get desperate. Anyone who was of able health was taught to fire a gun and forced onto the frontlines in a feeble attempt to keep the infection at bay."

"If our files were terminated, how did you know about all of this?"

"Even the 'dead' are potential victims of robbery. I did my own snooping around while trying to find a way to get back to Equestria, my home. Apparently, teleporters were the rage with Nazi and Soviet scientists. Once I became integrated into the highest of Soviet ranks, I had enough power to acquire many things. The reason I took up your files was because of Der Riese. I thought that by finding out more about your group, I would be able to return home."

"You know far too much for your own good, Gersch."

"That would be true, if you weren't the only existing member of Group 935. Nonetheless, your statement still stands. I have been digging a little too deeply into the element. It was during that time that I nearly perfected my device to send me back home. I would've left the scientists on a good note, going as far as giving the schematics away to the public. But, a fellow scientist by the name of Yuri Kravcheski stabbed me in the back by tampering with my gateway to Equestria. Instead, it sent me to an ethereal realm where Sam resided."

"That was when we first met you at that Cosmodrome. Tell me, how is Sam doing?"

"Last time I came in contact with the little girl, she still harbors a grudge towards you. I wouldn't be surprised if she's the master puppeteer behind Equestria's crisis."

"Fascinating. No matter how you boil the situation down, it all revolves around that incident!"

"Richtofen, you unknowingly brought two entirely different worlds to near extinction. The only reason I am helping you now is because of your capabilities."

"Ja, ja, ja. Don't fret over it one bit, my friend. I always believe in cleaning up after myself."

"For everyone's sake, I hope so. I believe I am done for the night. I shall retire to my bed. Oh, one more thing, Richtofen."

"What is it now?"

"Do not underestimate us. Good night, Doctor."

"Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer, eh?"

* * *

It had been an incredible amount of time since Luna personally visited Sweet Apple Acres. Even with the passing millennia, certain aspects of life have not changed. This was something she appreciated. It was here where she decided to make her stand against the attacks, should it ever occur. After all, she did promised that cute little filly she'd protect them. While she stood guard amongst the rows of trees, she heard the flapping of wings.

"Princess Luna. I've come to report to you." Captain Storm bowed to her.

"Any signs?"

"None. It looks like things will be quiet, for once."

"Excellent. The citizens shall have their respite tonight." There was a brief silence between them until Storm spoke up once again.

"Princess, if I may ask what do you truly have in store for these humans?"

"My sister, Gersch, you and I are the only ponies who know about their background. We should keep things that way. As for what I wish to do with them, well, I don't know. Would it be right to send them straight back home after all is done? Do we just forget about them as if they never existed?"

"As much as I dislike their lot, it wouldn't be fair to them."

"Yes, that's true. I do wish to regard them as heroes, but things aren't that simple. At least, to these ponyfolk, they act as saviors. Really, the only one who seems decent is Takeo. Nikolai is an alcoholic, Dempsey might be able to reform, but Richtofen is just plain evil. How they deal with him is beyond me."

"Let's just hope they decide to go back to their homes after this mess is over with. Otherwise, we'll have to take matters into our own hooves."

"I do not look forward to that at all. I should be heading back to the palace for the coming morning. I want you to remain here to protect Sweet Apple Acres."

"I shall do as you please, Princess. Have a safe trip."

* * *

She had no idea how long she had stood in front of his door. All Fluttershy knew that it was already sunrise. She paced nervously back and forth, wondering how she should approach him.

"Um, hello? Are you awake yet, Takeo?" Despite her efforts, she could not bring her volume above a squeak. Deep down inside, she hoped that he would hear her. But at the same time, she feared that he might react violently to her intrusion. The bashful mare wouldn't dare knock either. What if he disturbed his rest? Before she could come to any crazy conclusion, the door clicked and swung open to reveal a half naked Takeo, dressed only in pants.

"Fluttershy, what is wrong at this early hour?" He rubbed the back of his neck in an attempt to rid himself of drowsiness.

"Oh, uh, you see, I was just –oh my I'm such a wreck…" Takeo was getting slightly annoyed by her shyness until he spotted the harness around her back. It had a first aid kit strapped on top of it.

"Do not tell me you're still worried about me," her barely audible words now turned to a timid squeak. He smiled for the umpteenth time since his arrival to Equestria. "Come in." She slowly walked into the room. He took her personality into consideration and quietly shut the door instead of slamming it. "You really don't have to this for me."

"Oh no, I insist. Isn't it uncomfortable with all of those wounds? Um, if you don't mind lying on the bed…"

"Of course. So, Doctor Fluttershy (heh), how long will this take?"

"…Just a few minutes…" True to her word, the entire process did not take as long as Takeo had expected. Fluttershy was no stranger to bandaging and cleaning lacerations.

"Arigato, Fluttershy-san. You'd make a great field medic."

"Oh my, its nothing really. You start to see a wide variety of injuries after caring for animals for a while…"

"Hm, so you're a veterinarian. In any case, keep those medical skills of yours nice and sharp. We may not know when we'll need you the most." Once again, she was unable to speak. Instead, she squeaked. "Too flustered to talk, are we? It's alright. Let's just get some breakfast now."

* * *

Everything was being set in place. The clock would soon strike noon, and the teams had already been assembled. With Sweet Apple Acres being the most ground to cover, Richtofen and Gersch decided to watch their experiment here. With more targets to acquire, it would be more likely for the AMTs to extract element 115 from the zombies. Throughout the night, the two scientists had been tinkering with the machinery. The Nazi doctor knew that the zombies would be a perfect, almost unending, source of the element. So, with the help of Gersch and his team, they were able to add another feature to the turrets which allowed them to absorb whatever element the zombies had in their body. With the turrets placed in their proper locations, all Ponyville had to do was wait. Should any of the AMTs malfunction for any reason, it would leave Ponyville ripe for the picking. With this in mind, the humans and the ponies remained at their original stations, save for Richtofen.

"Hey Doc," Applejack started. "How sure are ya that these robots will work?"

"Well, according to my calculations, there's a one percent chance that they will malfunction. Now let's see here… we've deployed 18 of these around Ponyville…which means that you shouldn't fear any failure on the machine's part."

"Them fancy mathematics of yours better be right. For everypony's sake."

"You ponies worry far too much about your life. Place more faith in the Doctor, ja?" Though she still didn't believed his words, Applejack nodded regardless. The entire Apple Family remained outside to witness the "robots" work their magic, so to say. Takeo and Richtofen remained ready with their weapons drawn while Gersch restlessly scribbled notes on his scroll. In the distance, a loud siren could be heard wailing. As if on cue, the ponies became edgy, tensing themselves up for the battle ahead.

"Y'all better get ready. Them undead varmints are approaching!" Just as Applejack said, the zombies loomed over the hills, anxious to feast on the living. But, the AMTs closest to the horde whirred to life, and began to fire various offensive spells at them. They proved to be incredibly effective, much to the delights of the scientists.

"Ha ha! Look at this! The devastation that is at hand is simply marvelous!"

"This is wonderful! I'll get these notes sent to my team immediately so that we may begin the mass production!"

"Wait! It is too soon to be sheathing our swords! Look over there." Takeo had pointed out a small grove where there were less of the turrets. Some of the zombies had managed to break through the defenses.

"Gersch, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" There was a dangerous glint in Richtofen's eyes as he looked towards the elder unicorn. A similar glint could be seen in his eyes as well.

"More power is needed, yes?"

"Alas, we shall tweak it up another time. For now, we've got some children to discipline here…" With his dual shotguns, the Nazi charged into the fray.

"My blade shall exact death upon these cretins! Applejack, remain here with your family."

"No way, no how! I'd never back down out of a fight and I'm sure as hell I won't start now!"

"Listen to me, Applejack. If those turrets go haywire, they may shoot at us. I am here to protect the Apple Family and that includes you. I will not allow you or any of your kind to die in vain anymore!"

"But-"

"I know you are a capable fighter. This I do not doubt. But if Richtofen and I were to perish, saving all of Equestria would be difficult. Let's keep the casualties to a minimum." Before she could make any sort of rebuttal, Takeo had run off.

"Oooohhh, sometimes these humans just grind my gears!"

"Well, don't you two make a lovely couple?"

"What are you implyin', Big Mac?"

"Oh, its nuthin'. I just calls em' as I sees em'."

"Whatever, forget about that! Right now, we need to help out Tak and Doc!" However, before she could rush in, Big Mac stepped in front of his little sister. "Big Mac, if you don't mind, there's killin' we've got to do out there!"

"No can do, little sis. You heard Takeo. I'm not gonna have this argument with you again."

"Come on, Big Mac! How can you be so calm?"

"If you lose your cool in the heat of battle, you may find yourself among the dead and dishonorable. That's somethin' he told me before and its somethin' I can agree on."

"But he doesn't understand the pain of losing loved ones, does he?"

"Yer gonna have to talk to him about that yerself, Applejack. I'm in no position to spill the secrets of a fellow colt, er, man. But my statement still stands. You are not going to fight." Finally defeated, she stomped her way back to the barn. The colt let out an audible sigh as he turned to witness the battle at hand. "Don't do anything stupid, Takeo…"

"Do not worry, Big Mac," Gersch said. "I've designed these turrets so that no friendly fire will ever occur. A stroke of genius on both mine and Richtofen's part, if I do say so myself."

"Yeah, about those turrets… Can we really trust our lives to these robots?" Taken aback by his statement, the unicorn could do nothing but stare at the farmer colt with an incredulous expression for a while.

"Most certainly! They just need their daily charge of magic and the AMTs will be good to go! Right now, we need to figure out how many to deploy and Ponyville will be safe. I promise you that."

"Oh, is that what you've been writin' down on the scroll?"

"No, I've been doodling the past few hours."

* * *

Once the fighting was over, everyone had gone to the town square to discuss the next step in freeing Equestria from the dead. Once the turrets got started, it became incredibly obvious that they would be a key component in the battles to come. While zombies did manage to get through the turret defenses, they were in no shape to feast on pegasus guards.

"Gather around, everyone. Are we all here? Good. Ahem, it is with great pleasure that I announce the AMTs, a product of I, Doctor Richtofen and Gersch, a smashing success." Everyone cheered and applauded at the good news. "The citizens of Ponyville can finally rest easily. No longer will you poor ponyfolk have to sleep with one eye open! The constant wailing of the sirens are no more. Naturally, this would call for a celebration, but we must hold out on that for now. Sorry, Pinkie."

"Its okay! I understand completely!"

"Good, with that out of the way, let us continue. We will be resting up in the next few days. But after that, we must spread the technology all across Equestria. From Fillydelphia to Appleloosa, we must secure as many cities and towns as possible. Once we've got that under our belts, we can finally search out the cause of the problems. Our sources indicate that we must look for a giant meteor that has crashed into Equestria. Despite this being our only hint, I'm quite positive that it will be simple to find such a strange object, ja? In any case, the AMTs altogether have collected a large amount of 115. In other words, my team and I should be able to resupply our ammunition easily as long as I can recreate the machinery necessary for the job. Now then, without further ado, let's party!" And party they did. Though the humans have only heard of the legendary skill of Pinkie Pie, this would be their first time ever experiencing it in person. However, amidst the festivities, Applejack herself was not in the mood for partying. Quietly, she stepped out of the pavilion and walked around town. It was a cloudless night. The stars and the moon illuminated the darkness that the lamps could not penetrate. The earth pony found a bench with a nice view of the sky and situated herself comfortably. The words of Takeo and Big Mac still echoed in her head. Applejack had no idea how long she had been sitting there for it seemed the attendants were leaving one by one. Had the party ended already? Or had time passed by so fast for her that she had not noticed? Either way, she did not truly care as long as she remained alone. Unfortunately, as soon as that thought passed through her mind, she saw two figures approach her.

"Aw, phooey…" she whispered to herself. As the figures neared, she recognized them as Takeo and Twilight. While she didn't mind Twilight, Applejack definitely did not feel like talking to the Japanese.

"Hey Applejack. Everypony was starting to get worried so Takeo and I looked for you."

"Sorry to worry y'all. I just needed some fresh air and alone time."

"Oh, okay, if you say so. Come on, Takeo. Let's head back."

"Yes, I will be with you in a bit." Twilight surprisingly caught the hint and went on ahead. "May I sit with you, Applejack-san?" Silently, she scooted over to make space for him. "You are probably wondering about what happened earlier…"

"You're darn tootin' I'm wonderin'! In case it wasn't obvious, I've been wonderin' all night! Now what is that you and Big Mac have been talkin' about behind my back?"

"Its nothing new. Just concerns over the future."

"Right… Ya know, that's funny because Big Mac mentioned something about yer past. Is there somethin' you're not tellin' me?" Though he did not show it, Takeo was getting incredibly agitated by Applejack's accusing tone. Nonetheless, he remained cool and collected.

"Do you truly wish to know the horrors of war? Very well then. You know what it is like to lose family and loved ones."

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Imagine that pain. Now magnify it to your heart's content. At least we are dealing with dead enemies here. Back at home, we were engaged in a war. And the world was the stage. Every single country and faction was involved in the bloodbath. Death became so common to the point where counting the bodies became a mundane task. It was a strange, harsh reality that soldiers had to deal with. Naturally, I was no stranger to all of this. The Masaki clan has had a successful line of samurai and bushido for the past few centuries. The more enemies I had slain, the more honor I receive. Still, being surrounded by mutilation and dying brothers tends to wear you down. The way we murdered men out there was nothing short of inhumane. Any prisoner that we'd capture would be subjected to our torture. It was an old method of getting information and 'relieving' stress. To this day, I still see them in my nightmares. Their arms being slowly twisted off or their eyes set ablaze by cigar… You can call World War II a true hell on earth. Compared to what I've seen there, your crisis is child's play!"

"Oh my gosh… I, I'm so sorry. I had no idea!"

"It would be best if we kept it that way, Applejack-san. War is not for the meek of heart. If you think its bad now, you would have never survived a day in a foxhole." At this point, tears were beginning to form in the pony's eyes.

"But why? Why would you kill your own kind? I don't understand y'all one bit…" Takeo had placed a hand on one of Applejack's shoulders and began to rub it in a comforting way.

"I suppose, when you boil it all down, humans are a violent and evil race. We won't do anything out of pure kindness unless we are rewarded somehow."

"I don't believe you! If anythin', you've got to be the sweetest, kindest, human I've ever met! Even now, you're comfortin' me with pure good will! I'll…I'll never understand y'all…" After all of the death, after all of the heartache she endured, Applejack finally broke down. She cried and cried into Takeo's lap. She had finally let out all the frustrations and all of the sadness that have been accumulating through tears. For now, Applejack was done being the powerful, reliable pony that everyone else looked up to. Just for this moment, she was the one that needed a shoulder to cry on. All Takeo could do was to stroke her back in an effort to comfort the mare. Throughout that long night, if one were to listen carefully, they would be able to hear the soft wailings of a strong and admirable pony. Unbeknownst to the two, a certain purple unicorn had been spying on them through the bushes.

"I was right to place my trust in you Takeo…"

* * *

AN: Boy, I sure do love line breaks. Sorry I haven't updated in a while. My creative juices were running low and I needed a small break.


	8. Old World Shadows

AN: Sorry about the long wait, guys. I've been feeling under the weather lately (sick, lack of motivation, etc.). Hopefully I can get the production up to speed next time. I WILL be seeing this story to the end, though. Don't you worry about that! Oh, an author notes will be on top from here on out.

* * *

Ascend Through Darkness Chapter 8: Brimstone Landscapes

With the security of Ponyville truly solidified, everyone's time and energy can now be focused on recuperating. Within the past few days, fruits and vegetables had been harvested successfully. The weather pegasus ponies were able to freely change forecast without fear of attacks. A return to normalcy was in sight for the ponies which boosted their morale. They were all in high spirits, though not quite the usual level of peppiness that was previously present. While Takeo, Dempsey, and Nikolai helped in the reconstruction of the town, Doctor Richtofen returned to Canterlot with Gersch in order to create more inventions. The imperial soldier remained with the Apple family to help them procure the harvest and reinforce whatever building needed tending to. Dempsey, Nikolai, and many of the ponyfolk were busy rebuilding the southern neighborhood. It was here that the Soviet demonstrated his expertise in carpentry much to the surprise of his colleagues. Despite being under the influence of alcohol, his decisions sped up construction overall.

"Dempsey, are you almost finished up there? I need to talk to you." Nikolai called out. The marine had been hammering in planks on the second story of a house.

"Yeah, just about done here," he replied back from the scaffold. "What is it? If its about the vodka, I'm telling you I'll get more of that stuff when we get back."

"No, it is not that. Though Nikolai does appreciate you still remember that. Follow me." After jumping down from the platform, Dempsey trailed behind the Soviet as he led them to a somewhat isolated area of town. Once he was satisfied with their privacy, he turned towards the marine with a stern expression. "This is very important. Have you noticed anything strange with Takeo?"

"Look, I know you hate the guy for some damn reason. If that's what this is about…"

"No, it is nothing like that. I mean he's been getting softer."

"Define 'soft' for me. I don't really pay attention once the carnage starts, ya know." The Russian sighed. Though he respected the American, even HE can get a little tired of his denseness.

"While I would never say this to his face, I have to admit that he's a good shot and a good killer. But ever since we teleported here to Equestria, his behavior's been less aggressive. It unnerves me greatly. I feel that he may become too soft and caring on the battlefield. This would mean more work for us, da?"

"Yeah, I don't like the sound of that at all when you put it that way. So what the hell do you want me to do about it?"

"I'm not sure. I mean, what if Takeo wants to stay and live here?"

"Okay, you know that's a load of shitballs. Tak keeps going on about honor for the emperor and crap like that. Knowing him, there's no way in hell he would ever abandon his country."

"Oh, come on! I'm sure you guys had those thoughts of staying here too! I mean, we teleported like fucking how many decades into the future? And there are still zombies! In fucking Mother Russia of all places too!"

"Damn, I'd be lying if I said otherwise. But we still have a mission to complete back home! Once Richtofen's done playing around here, we're going straight back to earth and fixing the mess there."

"That sounds alright. But let us drag Takeo with us. If he truly is attached to this place, then it will mean more suffering for him and more joy for Nikolai! Hyah hah!"

"Seriously, I sometimes think it's the booze that's talking and not you."

"You'd be correct in your thinking, comrade! This buzz of mine has been going for quite some time now. Come, let us resume the carpentry." As the duo returned to the construction site, they were approached by the Mayor of Ponyville.

"Oh, there you are, boys! I've been looking all over for you."

"What's up, Mayor?" Dempsey asked.

"Princess Celestia along with her royal ensemble and Doctor Richtofen are at the train station. They requested both yours and Nikolai's presence there. It seems like we're getting ready to move out to other cities."

"Sounds good to me," the marine grunted as he stretched out his limbs. "I've been getting a little bored of playing Bob the Builder around here."

"Right when Nikolai was finally getting comfortable, you go and push him out! It's like Red Army."

"I'm sorry, Nikolai. But these are orders from Your Highness herself. I'll lead you two to the train station." Without any other choice, the humans followed the elderly mare across town. After some minutes of walking, they find themselves on a paved road which led them to the outskirts of the town. Along the road, they witnessed ponies rebuilding and reconstructing damaged or ruined houses. Everypony was far too busy with their current tasks to give their usual friendly hello to the Mayor. She didn't mind this at all, of course.

"Boys, I must say, I do not know what we would have done without your help."

"Eh, this is nothing, really. Besides, I had to take a break from all the ass kicking I've been doing lately. Otherwise, I'll get the slightest chance of burning out, if you know what I mean."

"Ha! He only talks bigger than he walks. But trust Nikolai on this, Mayor. Dempsey does walk quite a bit for someone who isn't drunk, da?"

"Nikolai, is this your idea of a compliment?"

"Yes, it is. It's something the Red Army used to do in boot camp. They would compliment you on what you did right. Then they would berate you for not doing it well enough! It was a very strange system. Maybe it was experimental? I don't know."

"Huh…well, speaking of walking, how much farther till we hit the train station?"

"Not much longer now. Once we get up on that hill over there, we should be able to see the station."

"Hmph. Hey Nikolai, I'll race you. Loser buys the winner vodka!"

"You had me at vodka. You're gonna owe me more this time, Dempsey!"

"Oh, boys! Wait! You know I'm a little old for this!" In no time at all (perhaps in ten seconds flat), the two humans followed by the elderly mare had already reached the hill.

"Mayor, is that the station you're talking about?" Dempsey pointed at the lone building that stood out from the plains.

"Why, yes it is," she replied through breaths. "Strange. I don't see the royal carriage anywhere. But Princess Celestia's guards are still here."

"I see Richtofen and comrade Gersch. Come, we must see what they are in need of!"

"Oh great. Just when I was getting used to not seeing that Nazi's face around here…"

"By the way, you owe me some more vodka." The marine merely grumbled under his breath. The trio resumed their comfortable pace towards the train station. As they approached, the sounds of construction could be heard, along with the whirring of some mechanical device. "What's with all the klinking and clanking? Its making my headache worse!"

"Ah, Nikolai. I thought I recognized that complaining." Richtofen appeared from the entrance to the station. His visage was one of great happiness. To Dempsey and Nikolai, this only provided more nightmare fuel. "Hello, Mayor! How are you on this fine day?" He gave a gentlemanly bow to her. She giggled at his display. The other two merely rolled their eyes.

"Oh, I'm just dandy! Thank you for asking."

"Richtofen," Dempsey began. "What is it you have planned this time? And where's Celestia?"

"Calm your stupid head down, American. The Princess is off on royal business so she could not be here to give you two your next mission. Instead, I will be the one to give you it at her behest."

"Nikolai does not mind this. But can you guys stop with the fucking racket already?"

"No can do, my Cossack friend. You see, Gersch's team and I are remodeling the train here. We're fixing it up with multiple turrets for safe travelling. Before, the train was out of commission not because of the lack of conductor ponies, but because of the undead dangers that lurk out there. Sure, the train moves at high velocities, but reports say that there have been other infected creatures that aren't ponies. Manticores, dragons, and even buffalo!"

"Alright, we get it. Different freak sacs. We'll still kill em' the same way we always do. Can you tell us the damn job already?"

"Ugh, do you see why I hate you so much? Anyway, Appleloosa has sent Ponyville a letter of distress stating their dire need of reinforcements. Apparently, all of Equestria has heard of our appearance in their world. We'll be sending a small team with AMTs and other assorted goodies over there via train. This team will be including Dempsey, Nikolai, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy."

"Wait, why Fluttershy? This Soviet does not understand your way of thinking."

"Well, isn't it obvious? Oh wait, you're drunk most of the time. You see, they also need extra help for nursing patients. As you know, she is quite adept in the field of medicine and healing. With her caring and loving presence, the wounded and sick will recover at a faster rate. At least, according to Celestia, anyway."

"So when do we move out?"

"Tonight. We haven't much time to waste. Its going to be a long trip to Appleloosa, even at the speeds you will be going. Estimates have shown that you'll need at least a day and half to get there."

"But why would you send such a small amount of reinforcements? Hell, the Red Army sends trains full of men into the trenches!"

"Nikolai, it's all about strategy and spreading your forces evenly. It was something mein Fuhrer could not do. I've already informed the other two of the plans. We'll meet back here an hour after Princess Luna raises the night sky."

* * *

It was night time, and everypony was in the mood for sleep. While the sirens had been disassembled, the loud crackling of the AMTs firing at the zombies served as a satisfactory warning for the zombies' imminent and futile advance. It took the citizens a while before they got used to the noises outside. Dempsey and Nikolai once more traversed the same path to the train station. The lamps, illuminated by magic, gave off a warm glow with sufficient illumination. The two walked in silence, not really having anything to say to each other. Though their factions were allies in the war, these two only remained on the same side due to circumstances. At first, Nikolai appreciated and even complimented Dempsey's love of killing and firearms in general. However, this did not last very long as Dempsey did not actually return any of the compliments. It was best to describe their relationship as a rocky rivalry as opposed to being actual friends. Once they arrived at the train station, they met up with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.

"Sup, Dash." Dempsey held out his fist for Dash to punch back with her hoof in a friendly gesture.

"Hey, Dempsey. Haven't seen you around lately."

"Just fixing up a few homes for some ponies, that's all."

"Yes, it was easy work. Carpentry is just one of Nikolai's specialties!"

"Yeah, I've been swamped with work as well. But, nothing to sweat about. Except for those search and rescue operations. It makes me miss those days of being a weather pegasus, actually."

"Tell me about it. The marines do it all the time. We were usually unsuccessful in our rescues, though." Just then, Richtofen, Gersch, along with some of the Royal Guards walked out of the station.

"Ah, good. Everyone is here. Gersch here shall commence with the mission briefing."

"Thank you, Doctor. As you all know, Appleloosa is in danger of falling to the zombie threat at hand. With Ponyville thoroughly secured, we can finally spread our forces to other towns and cities. I hope these few days of r n' r find you well. You won't be coming back to Ponyville until Appleloosa is fully secured as well. Albeit, it shouldn't be too difficult with the relatively small size of the settler town. Your mission is to set up the AMTs as usual around the perimeter of the town. However, reports have indicated that zombie buffalo are now within their ranks. These creatures are stronger and sturdier than your usual zombie. So, to counteract their presence, we've developed a special new weapon. These special mines have an incredibly large blast radius. Far bigger than your usual satchel charge or bouncing betty. Here, allow me to show you." Gersch used his magic to levitate a strange looking device from his backpack. It was no bigger than a pistol, and it had strange markings lining around its spherical shape. "It may look small, but this thing packs quite a punch. At the request of Richtofen, the team has dubbed this creation, 'Explody Bits.' It's lightweight, compact, and powerful. By using large amounts of magic and element 115, we were able to achieve this. And you don't have to worry about friendly fire either. They're fixed with an undead and 115 sensor. So even if you have 115 based equipment on you, it will not detonate unless a zombie makes contact with it. Speaking of which, you may want to bury these mines far away from important landmarks and buildings. However, if you are equipped with PhD Flopper, you can also use these as grenades. Just, don't throw it too close. You will be able to tell if they are about to go off when they emit a beeping noise. The faster it beeps, the closer it is to detonation. Its fuse time is relatively short as well. Any questions?"

"Yes, Nikolai has one. We've no ammo to spare. How the hell are we supposed to resupply our guns?"

"Not to worry. Richtofen and I have been hard at work recreating the Pack-a-Punch machine. Except this time, it gives out ammunition. We've dubbed it the Ammo-matic! Just place the weapon in the slot as if you were going to upgrade it. After a few seconds, your gun will be back with full ammo. The amount of magic and 115 we've put into this machine is rather large. We've only managed to create one so far. And even then, it has limited uses. But it should serve its purpose for now. If that is all, you four should get on the train and head out for Appleloosa immediately."

* * *

An hour had passed since the team had boarded the train. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were fast asleep in their bunkers while Dempsey and Nikolai remained on night watch. They looked out the windows to see the landscape had changed from grassy plains to a dry desert. For the umpteenth time that night, Dempsey had disassembled and reassembled his favorite gun, the Skullcrusher. Originally an M16, it was an assault rifle with multiple firing options. But for the marine, he enjoyed its three-burst action.

"Dempsey, you really need to take up another hobby, like me!" Nikolai said as he took another swig from his vodka bottle.

"What, you mean drinking? No thanks. I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I want to at least keep my wits about me. Honestly, I'm surprised you haven't poisoned yourself with the constant drinking and shit like that."

"At least I am not constantly taking apart and putting back my gun together. Anyway, I don't think anything will happen tonight. This Russian bear shall hibernate for now." After safely tucking away his bottle, the Soviet rested his head on the pillows and immediately began to snore.

"Hmph, snoozing doesn't sound so bad right about now…" He held back a yawn as he placed his guns by his side before lying back on the bed. But no matter what he did, Dempsey could not sleep. He would toss that way and turn another way but to no avail. He tried to lie still. That didn't work either.

"Agh, what the fuck?" he silently cursed to himself. Giving up on the idea of sleep, he walked around the other cars to simply sate the boredom. They were the only ones on the train besides the staff, so there was no risk of disturbing any other pony that was sleeping. Just as he was about to enter a different car, he heard an all too familiar voice.

"Fetch me their souls!" The demonic voice rang out like a banshee on a quiet night. Ghostly fog emanated from nowhere as the atmosphere took on a blue hue. Dempsey was on guard, aiming his gun at whatever apparition may decide to appear in front of him. Slowly, he inched his way back to the team, hoping that the voice may have woken them up.

"Nikolai! Rainbow Dash! Fluttershy! You'd better be awake or I'm kicking your asses up!" If the demonic voice did not wake them up, surely his would. As if on cue, he heard a stampede of footsteps on the other side of the door.

"Damn it, Dempsey! What's with all the racket!" Nikolai complained.

"Yeah, we were all sleeping, ya know!" Fluttershy merely squeaked.

"Ha, you guys were about to enter eternal rest! Nikolai, get ready for a dog show. It looks like we have to throw Fido out of the house again!"

"Oh, they are trying to fetch our souls again? But I don't see them!" As if on cue, lightning struck outside several times, startling the ponies. Dempsey and Nikolai looked out the windows to be greeted by the hellhounds. They were surprisingly keeping up with the train, like a pack of wolves circling its prey.

"What was that lightning all of a sudden?" Rainbow Dash questioned.

"Hellhounds. These guys are annoying as fuck and they're fast. But there seems to be a bigger pack than usual…" The ponies took their turn to look through the window to be greeted by a grisly sight. Living up to their name of hellhound, these fallen creatures seemed to be constantly on fire. They would leave traces of flame with each step they take which ate at the landscape. Their ghostly fire lit up the night, giving an illusion of evening. There were dozens on each side and they were getting closer. While the turrets were keeping them at bay, quite a few of them are already closing in on the conductor ponies.

"Oh, those poor creatures…Who would do such a thing to them?"

"Guys, we need to get out there and protect the conductors! Those dogs are gaining on them even with the turrets going full-auto! Fluttershy and I will make sure they don't get close to them. You guys should help thin the crowd with your guns!"

"Oorah! That sounds like a plan! You heard her, ladies! Let's blow up these damn beasts!" Opening the windows, the pegasus ponies flew out with the humans climbing on top of the train. Everyone got in their positions, ready to defend the train to the death. Dempsey readies his M203 grenade launcher which was attached to his Skullcrusher. Taking somewhat careful aim, he pulls the trigger and launches the grenade into a rather large pack of dogs, killing them in the process!

"Whoo! Did you see that fucker blow to smithereens?"

"Nice shooting, Tank! But you can only be bested by this Soviet!" Taking the large amount of targets to shoot into account, Nikolai opted for his second weapon, the R115 Resonator, which was the upgraded version of the RPK light machine gun. Spraying with reckless abandon, accuracy was something he did not care about.

"Whoa, Nikolai! We've gotta save SOME of our ammo. We're gonna have to kick some more ass when we arrive to Appleloosa, remember?"

"Shit, you are correct! I got carry away with the killing. At least I can rely on these turrets unlike Takeo! Da!"

"Yeah, they're putting in work. Nikolai, I'm gonna need you to hold the fort down while I check up on the girls! I haven't seen this many hellhounds before."

"You can rely on me, Tank! Just hurry up with what you have to do!" With the dangerous surroundings, Dempsey couldn't afford to slip up. Instead, he carefully crept his way forward on top of the speeding train. The rushing winds made it difficult for him to see clearly or even run. Eventually, he made it to the front box.

"Rainbow Dash! What's your status?"

"We're doing fine! The engineers are alright. Those rascals haven't even gotten close!"

"Oorah! That's exactly what I wanted to hear! Wait a minute, what the fuck is that?"

"What? What's going on, Dempsey?"

"Looks like we've got some dive bombing zombies to deal with!" They looked to the skies to see a swarm of undead pegasus ponies blotting out the moon. Instantly, the turrets moved and locked on towards the new target and began to fire. "Damn it! With the turrets occupied like that, we've got to deal with these damn dogs ourselves! I'll stay here to give you girls back up!"

"Roger that, Dempsey! Fluttershy, we're gonna have to kill em all!"

"I know, but something doesn't feel right!" She screamed over the wind.

"Yes, they used to be dogs! But this is the best show of mercy for them! Trust me on this one." The timid mare could do nothing but nod in agreement. The fight raged on, with Dempsey and Nikolai picking off dogs and ponies alike from a distance while Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy acted as personal bodyguards for the engineer ponies. However, the hellhounds began to grow impatient and leapt on top of the trains, surprising both humans.

"Ah, shit! Here they come!" Strapping his Skullcrusher onto his back, he pulled out his shotgun Hades. As they bounded for him, he blasted them away with a powerful force of incendiary rounds. The Soviet remained with his LMG as it remained effective even in close range.

"Dempsey! They're attempting to break inside the train! I'll go in and protect everyone else!" Not bothering to wait for a reply, Nikolai climbed through the window and disappeared from sight.

"Alright Fido. You wanna play? How about you fetch my hand grenade instead?" Pulling the pin on one of his frag grenades, he tossed it on the side of the train. The resulting explosion caught a few of the dogs, effectively dismembering and killing them. Unfortunately, a dog had managed to get a hold of his leg before he could react. In response, he blasted its head off with his shotgun.

"That's the last leg you're gonna hump!"

"Dempsey! What happened?"

"Nothing, Dash! Its just a flesh wound. Just concentrate on fucking up anything dead that gets close to the conductors!" In reality, it was no flesh wound that he suffered. The hellhound managed to snap rather hard on his right leg, leaving large gashes in its wake. Though he could not feel the pain due to the adrenaline, it would prove to be difficult to simply walk. "I can't believe I got so careless! These freak bags are gonna pay!" Fueled by anger, he pulled out his Skullcrusher once more and began killing anything that dared move. The battle lasted throughout the night. In fact, it was only when dawn came upon them did they realize how much time had truly passed.

"There's just no end to these guys!"

"We must hold out! Their numbers are growing smaller! Whatever you do girls, don't stop the slaughter!" While it was true that there were less of the enemy, it did not mean that their assault grew any softer. The ponies were beginning to feel desperate, but Dempsey was only growing agitated. "Damn it! These fuckers are eating up my ammo," After putting away his Skullcrusher, the marine pulled out his bowie knife. This particular knife was equipped with a brass knuckle grip which was also known as a knuckle duster. This allowed for quick melee attacks which would be followed up by a stab for the kill. As a whole, it almost reaches one foot in length, with half of it being the blade itself. "Alright, freak sacks! Prepare to meet the butcher!" As the zombies and hellhounds attempt to approach him, he would easily cleave through their bodies with one slice. Unbeknownst to him, Nikolai also had the same idea, though he had the luxury of fighting in a corridor. This streamlined his enemies into one direction, allowing him to never worry about an attack from another direction. Arguably, the ponies were doing somewhat better. While quite a few of the zombies and hellhounds targeted them, they were repelled back with ease. However, the flying at constant high speed was taking its toll on their stamina. Rainbow Dash was already used to the toil, but even she had to admit that she was getting tired. She could only imagine how Fluttershy was doing.

"Fluttershy, if you need to take a break, just land near Dempsey and help him out." But she refused. She had a job to do, and she was willing to fulfill it. "Fluttershy, this is no time to be stubborn! I know you're tired so just rest!"

"I…I can't! Everypony's relying on each other, and I must do my part."

"Just leave the front to me! I can take care of the conductors while you rest a little!"

"I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash. But, I can't! No, I refuse to let you do this alone!" Though she was taken aback by her sudden assertiveness, Rainbow Dash was grateful for her friend regardless.

"Well, if you feel so strongly about it. Okay then! Let's show these creeps what happens when the mess with folk from Ponyville!" Feeling somewhat refreshed, they both felt a burst of energy surge through them. With their will to fight reinforced, they were all determined to live through this battle. It was when the sun had finally risen to greet Equestria for the morning had the fight truly ended. The damage on the train was visible. Numerous bloodstains, scratches, and dents had decorated the cars. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had finally descended from their flight and landed near Dempsey, who was busy inspecting his wound. Both ponies gasp as they saw his injury.

"That's no flesh wound, Dempsey!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

"Okay, so I fibbed a little. Big deal! Help me back into the train. I can't get in on my own." They complied with his command. Each pegasus draped one of his arms over their back. Carefully, the two fly him to the window, where he grabbed a hold of the opening and hoisted himself back into the train. The devastation of the fight was even more apparent indoors. The carcasses of the hellhounds remained lifeless on the floor. Bloodstains and burn marks littered the interior. It was going to be a pain to scrub them out. In the midst of it all was Nikolai, who had resumed drinking.

"Ah, Dempsey. I see you are injured."

"Boy, don't you sound concerned?" Rainbow Dash replied sarcastically. The Soviet merely raised his hands in defense.

"Oops, didn't mean to insult your girlfriend, Tank! Hyah hah!"

"Watch it, bub! I'm positive I can kick your ass!"

"What, is a cute rainbow themed pegasus supposed to scare me? I'd sooner lose my manhood than get beaten by you!"

"Hey guys. If you haven't noticed yet, I'M FUCKING INJURED HERE!"

"Come on, everypony," Fluttershy interjected. "Let's just help out Mr. Dempsey with his wound and get along. I mean, if you don't mind, that is…"

"Whoa, Flutterguy can talk! I could've sworn he was a mute!"

"Nikolai, its Fluttershy. And I'm female."

* * *

It was evening when the train arrived. Everything was going according to schedule. It was the way Braeburn liked it. A nice, predictable lifestyle. Sure, he can handle mostly anything thrown at him, but he preferred the simple life. However, as he saw the train arrived, he noticed a few things that were awry already. Namely, the giant strange machinery that had been mounted on the sides of the train and the bloodstains. Nonetheless, he would remain here and greet the reinforcements in his own little way.

"Howdy, fellas! Glad y'all could make it to Aaaaaappleloosa!"


	9. Operation Overlord

AN: Wow, haven't updated in what, a month? Sorry about the delay, guys. I truly have no excuses at this point. I was just lazy. In any case, I'm trying to get the ball rolling once more and dishing these chapters out weekly. If not, then bi-weekly.

* * *

Ascend Through Darkness Chapter 9 Operation Overlord

"While its great to see y'all again, I was hopin' fer a little more than four, if ya catch my drift." Rainbow Dash merely waved a dismissive hoof at Braeburn's statement.

"Nah, don't worry about it! Fluttershy here's a great medic. Dempsey, Nikolai and I can handle the wet works!"

"I don't doubt you at all, Dash. Its just that, well, one of your compadres is injured." At the mention of his wound, the Marine immediately fired up.

"This is no goddamn injury! Just a flesh wound, is all. I can easily walk this off."

"Aye, the Red Army loves an attitude like that. If you're lucky, they give you vodka to numb pain! But, none for snipers. Thank god I was in infantry!" While he was still perplexed by their appearance, Braeburn nonetheless welcomed them. If these were the saviors of Ponyville, then Appleloosa has nothing to fear.

"Great! With introductions out of the way, we're gonna need some help unloading, Braeburn."

"Unloading? What exactly did you bring with y'all on the trip here, Dash?"

"Hate to say it, but Doc whipped up some pretty awesome shit to kill with. Braeburn, was it? Don't you worry about a thing. You've got Tank Dempsey on your side!"

"Da, and a Russian bear! Your zombie problems will be over in no time!"

"Heh, well how can I be so glum around such confident fellas? All right, y'all! Unload the train!" At his behest, the conductor ponies and a couple of buffalo were hauling in the gear from the back. "So, uh, what do these things do exactly? Train looks mighty strange with those metal objects on the side…"

"Can we talk about this somewhere else? Preferably a place with seats and alcohol."

"Oh gosh, where are my manners? I guess I got caught up with all this that I nearly forgot! C'mon, y'all! We're headin' to the local waterin' hole."

"Please, let us hurry! My hands no longer shake. I can actually string together coherent thoughts!"

"You know what, Nikolai? A drink does sound pretty damn good right about now." Before Dempsey could walk (limp) with the group, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy blocked his way.

"Sorry, Dempsey. But you're going to have to check into the hospital with Fluttershy. With that bad leg of yours, we can't afford any mishaps out there."

"Grraaahhh, fine! Just bring me a drink if you don't mind." Both the marine and the bashful pegasus broke off from the gang to find the medic tents. While Appleloosa was not as large as Ponyville, it was certainly big enough for one to get lost without a map. "Hey, Fluttershy. You've been here before, right? Where's the hospital or whatever place they're using?"

"Um, yes, I've been here. Oh my, its been quite a while, though. I think we make a right at this intersection…" Remaining nonchalant to her fuzzy memory, Dempsey had nothing better to do than to follow her. Although he would never admit it to anyone, his leg wound was quite painful. Thanks to the hellhound's rather unnatural fire affinity, the puncture wounds and claw marks also burned. Medical supplies were rather limited on the train as they were reserved for the Appleloosans. But for what little they could use, Fluttershy did some excellent work on his leg. "Uh, D-Dempsey? Is, is your leg feeling better?"

"Hm? Oh yeah, its doing fine. The boys would've love a field medic such as you, Fluttershy. Quick and clean." Surprised by his words, she noticeably blushed.

"Oh my! Um, thank you for your words." He merely shrugged.

"Eh, I calls em as I sees em. Compliments are good to toss around the team to boost morale, you know."

"You sound like quite the leader."

"Yeah, I guess I was just cut out for being a squad leader. But its strange. Now that you have me thinking, everything before the zombies came in is fuzzy. I just can't remember…"

"Oh, I hope I'm not interrupting anything important, but, we're here." The pair stopped at a building with a large red cross adorned on top. Various tents were pitched right outside the vicinity of the hospital. Fluttershy and Dempsey saw the sick, the injured, and the casualties within each tent. Most were not a pretty sight. Inside the building, the ponies and buffalo were doing just as bad as the others. Frantically, nurses and doctors rushed from patient to patient, giving out the diagnosed medicine. There was one particular nurse that caught Fluttershy's eye. She was a young female buffalo, not as big or brawny as her bigger brethren. Said buffalo looked in her direction and visibly lit up.

"Fluttershy? Is that you?"

"Little Strongheart? Oh, thank goodness you and you're tribe are alive!" The two met in an embrace as they reveled in each other's presence.

"While it is unfortunate that not all of the buffalo have made it out, most of us are well and breathing. I heard the news about Ponyville being rescued. Is it true that the saviors are here as well?" Dempsey got their attention by coughing loudly.

"You're looking at one of them right now." The female buffalo stared at the new creature that stood on its hind legs in front of her. She had never seen anything like a human before in her life. Little Strongheart tilted her head sideways.

"Not to be rude or anything, but, what are you?"

"A human. Part of the Marines, to be exact."

"Um, we'll get more on that later. But right now, we need to properly fix up his leg, Strongheart."

"Oh, yes, of course! With the newly arrived medical supplies, we should be able to heal up everyone in no time!"

* * *

"Richtofen, what is the meaning of this?"

"Yes, what exactly do you have in mind?" Princess Luna, Gersch, and Richtofen have met up in the war room. However, this time, the Nazi scientist had captured a zombie pony which was currently in a cage. It constantly gave out unearthly screams as it tried to reach its hooves out at the live flesh.

"As you all know, I've been constantly researching on your magics. After seeing all the successes of the merging of technology and spells, I realized that the possibilities are nearly endless! So, I thought to myself, what if there was a way to revert the process of the 115?"

"Wait, you're saying there's a way? Impossible! With my years on both Equestria and Earth, there was no way that technology or magic can reverse the effects!"

"Exactly. You can't have one without the other for this amazing piece of work I've created."

"Tell us, Doctor," Luna began. "How were you able to create such a device?"

"Well, I took some concentrated samples of the Ray Gun. Then, I had some of Gersch's team cast some rather complicated transmutation and reversion spells. Much to my delight, the spells melded together instead of clashing and creating some sort of magical nuclear reaction. The resulting transfusion of elements and magic created something I've never seen before! I was forced to create a new design for the dispenser of this energy."

"You mean this alien like object? It hardly even looks like a gun."

"Well Gersch, I had to stay away from the archetype of gun design. Any other conventional shape would simply not do! In any case, I wish to test this on a live subject in a controlled environment. Should anything go wrong, we at least have Gersch's team and Princess Luna to back us up. If all goes well, then our zombified pony here may return to normal! Alright, ponies! Get in your places! On my count, open the cage! One…two…three!"

* * *

"I can't help but feel bad for sending Dempsey to the infirmary like that."

"Bah, don't worry about him, Dash. He'll be out of there in no time. That brave American can take a hit and fight back two times as hard, if not more!"

"Gosh, Nikolai. Is Dempsey really as great as ya make him out to be?"

"Of course, Braeburn! Back in Russia, the Red Army would have probably promoted him to Captain, at least!"

"Huh, while I'm not all too familiar with rankins', I'll take yer word fer it. In any case, we're here! This is our local waterin' hole, The Salt Block. Under normal circumstances, it would be your normal bar complete with the finest drinks and salts. But now, it acts as a hotel and a temporary roof for those who had lost their homes."

"Yes, very heart wrenching. Now can we move along to those drinks?" Taken aback by his rather gruff attitude, Braeburn silently lead the group inside. Within The Salt Block, it was incredibly crowded. The ponies were either minding their own business on the bar or keeping their family company to coax themselves from the harsh reality.

"Sorry, y'all. Yer gonna have to make do with the space we've got available."

"Oh well. As long as you serve Russian vodka, all is good!"

"I'd rather have some apple cider. How can you even drink that stuff on a daily basis?"

"Well, Dash. First of all, vodka is the preferable drink of man. Hey, bartender! Give me your finest vodka." Said bartender warily eyed the new creature that sat in front of him. Nonetheless, this "Nikolai" was a customer, and Morton "Salt" Shaker did not believe in throwing out anyone unless they are too inebriated or rowdy for their own good.

"Will that be in salt or liquid form?"

"Salt? Hm, sounds interesting. Give it to me then!"

"Very well. And what can I get for Rainbow Dash and Braeburn?"

"Glass of cider sounds pretty good right about now, partner."

"Um, I'll have what Nikolai's having."

"Oh? Looks like I'll actually see the day that Takeo's manliness will come to question by a rainbow themed pony! This calls for a drink!"

"Sounds swell. Now then, while we wait for our drinks, let me fill y'all in on Appleloosa's situation," Rainbow Dash's and Nikolai's attention were squarely focused upon Braeburn. "As y'all saw earlier, parts of our beloved town have been ravaged by the attacks. At first, it was just us Appleloosans. But then, the whole buffalo tribe sought refuge in our town. We figured that by stickin' together, we could outlast the zombies and potentially drive em' away. Unfortunately, this didn't work. Our food supply is runnin' low. We can't get any imports with the trains out of commission. To be honest, I was expectin' an army of warriors and soldiers. Never would I have thought that Ponyville would've sent us their saviors so soon!"

" Like I said, you've nothing to worry about, Braeburn! We've got a trainload of those crazy gizmos and some new things as well! Appleloosa will be safe once again in no time!"

"I ain't worried about a thing with y'all here, Dash. By the way, these gizmos, what are they exactly?"

"Hold that thought. Alcohol has arrived!" Morton returned complete with the group's orders. However, Nikolai was rather shocked with what he was displayed with. "Wait a minute, you're saying this little block of salt is all I get!"

"Trust me on this one," Morton replied. "It packs quite a punch." Taking his word for it, the Soviet placed the small block in his mouth. Instantaneously, it dissolved which spread the flavors of salt and vodka all over his tongue.

"Holy shit! That was three bottles in one block! Vodka you can eat! Am I in heaven? This must be too good to be true." Seeing the pure enjoyment that Nikolai had, Rainbow Dash followed suit and placed the whole block in her mouth. However, her reaction was not as jovial. It took nearly all her willpower to not blanch and cough at the overwhelming strength of the alcohol.

"Blech, I kinda regret picking that…" Nikolai patted her back in a rather uncharacteristically kind fashion.

"Heh heh, do not worry! The fact that you took that like a man earns Nikolai's respect."

"Uh, can we get back to current events here?"

"What? Oh yes, the gizmos. Anyway, what we got here is some sort of magical turret thingies that lock on to zombies and kills them. Richtofen made a shitload of these apparently as we have brought at least a dozen of them. And these little grenade mines are Explody Bits! It looks like fun, actually. It would be best to see in action, no?"

"If you say so, Nikolai. Oh, by the way, I'd like to introduce y'all to two special folks that dropped by our town recently. They've been kind enough to offer their help to our quaint little town."

"Really? Any traveler that's willing to help out sounds like a good pony in my book!"

"Funny you should say that, Dash. One of em' is a griffon! The other one is a travelling magical performer. In fact, she's about to put up one of her performances right now!"

"Oh no, please don't tell me…" The lights dimmed, the ponies began to crowd around the indoor stage. The headlights swiveled around for a little bit before staying on the center. A feminine voice echoed throughout the room.

"Ladies and gentlecolts! Prepare to be astounded and baffled by The Great and Powerful Trixie!" The curtains slowly unfurled to a rather familiar unicorn. "Greetings, folks of Appleloosa! Naturally, I am so glad all of you are here to enjoy the fine beverages and my shows. Now then, without further ado, let us get this show on the road!" Nikolai was far too immersed with his conversation with Morton to actually pay attention to the show. Braeburn, on the other hand, noticed Dash's clear disgust with the unicorn on stage. She turned to him without changing her expression.

"Tell me this, Braeburn. Is the griffon in question Gilda?"

"Heh, at least we can get introductions out of the way then! I'm assumin' you've got some history with the two already."

"Yeah, none too well either," the pegasus sighed irritably. "Why can't things ever be simple?" The Soviet turned to his allies, a smile of pure mirth graced his features.

"I take back all those nasty things I've said about you ponies. You guys sure know your vodka!"

"Okay that's so awesome now can we set up those gizmos and get the hell out of here?"

"What? But we just got here! It would be rude of us to leave Appleloosa without staying to delight in its pleasures!" She cocked an eyebrow at Nikolai's sudden interest in other's feelings.

"It's the booze talking, isn't it?"

"Heh heh, I'm drunk. Big surprise, eh?" The pegasus's only reaction was a facehoof.

* * *

"Richtofen, I think we can safely call this experiment a failure."

"Nein, it wasn't a total loss of time. We at least know it works to an extent."

"I've witnessed death countless times in many forms. Exploding ponies are something I will never get used to. Excuse me, gentlecolts. But I must leave."

"Hm, I take it Princess Luna isn't a fan of gore?"

"Its no wonder the Soviets hated Nazis so much…"

"My goodness! The test subject is all over the floors, und the walls, und the ceiling! What's more important now is that we clean up this mess so that I can continue perfecting this machinery! You know, once it is done, perhaps I shall call it the 'Lazarus.' Ja, its got that nice ring to it…" Gersch shook his head in shame as he spoke under his breath.

"Such disregard for life. I am starting to regret working with you."

* * *

Patience was something Dempsey was not well known for. Whether it is waiting for the pack-a-punch machine to work its wonders or anything else, keeping still was something of a chore for the Marine. He rested his head against the pillow and stared up at the ceiling. The hospital was far from quiet as the moaning from the injured and the chatter between doctors and patients went on. At the very least, he had Fluttershy and Little Strongheart for company. While the girls were working on his leg, Dempsey filled the buffalo in on him and the technology they had brought with them. While she did not fully understand the magic, let alone the technology, the buffalo did realize that the humans may just be the key to saving all of Equestria.

"I see, so the AMTs are stationed at key locations around Ponyville. Once activated, it aims at the zombies and fires spells at them. Is that correct?"

"You got it right, toots. You know, for something that functions so simply, it sure is complicated as hell on the inside. I really don't know how Doc does it. Not sure if I want to know either…"

"Well, in any case, we've finished up on your leg. While you are able to walk, you won't be able to run for long. After all, we want that wound to heal up as soon as possible."

"Much appreciated, girls. Its nice to finally have some female company."

"Its no problem at all, Mr. Dempsey. Now if you'll excuse us, I must give Fluttershy a small tour around the hospital." He knowingly nodded at them. Once more, he reached for his Skullcrusher and checked the ammo supply. Despite the brutal fight his team had on the train, there was plenty of ammunition for him to spare. And he hadn't even touched his other weapons yet either! Should there be another attack on the way back to Ponyville, he would be more than ready, at least. But, he couldn't help but wonder. First, it was Element 115 that somehow ended up here in a different world. And with the hellhounds, the demonic voice has also reappeared. It was as if these two entirely different worlds are colliding and merging at the same time. At this point, the Marine would only be somewhat surprised to find a tank or a helicopter somewhere in Equestria. Not one for long contemplative sessions with himself, Dempsey collected his weaponry and limped briskly outside the hospital to get away from the noise and stench. The faster he gets the mission done, the sooner they could all return home to fix the zombie apocalypse back on their world. However, he couldn't help but think what would happen if he and the others were to just forget about earth and spend the rest of their lives in Equestria. It was almost like a vacation, not dealing with the undead on an hourly basis. Ponyville was a nice place. Canterlot seemed somewhat antiquated yet modern at the same time. The Marine really wanted to visit Manehattan, just to see if it really was a pony version of Manhattan. He couldn't help but chuckle at the obvious horse pun. Suddenly, he heard a loud bird call. He looked up into the evening sky to see a winged creature descending to earth and landing right in front of him. It had wings and the head of a bird and the forelegs were talons. But everything else was that of a lion.

"Man, this place just gets weirder and weirder."

"Sup. Heard you were part of the reinforcements. The name's Gilda." She extended one of her talons to Dempsey.

"Yeah, that's right," he said while shaking her talon. "The name's Tank Dempsey."

"You seem like a pretty cool guy. At least you're not like those lame ponies back in Ponyville."

"Where I'm from, you won't get far by acting sweet and cuddly. So Gilda, why don't you fill me in on Appleloosa's situation? I also need to survey the general area and find some key locations for the AMTs."

"The AM what? Well anyway, things aren't looking too bright. Parts of the town are destroyed. Casualties are mounting. If nothing drastic is done, Trixie and I are heading out of town before we become zombie food."

"Now why am I getting a strong sense of déjà vu here?"

"You said you needed to know the area? Hop on, I can give you an eye from the sky."

"Wait, are you sure?"

"Normally, I wouldn't do this for anyone. But given the situation that we're in, I think I can make this exception."

"No, I'm not talking about that. Are you sure you can carry me?" She merely scoffed.

"Hmph, I'm stronger than I look, ya know. Now will you hurry up? I doubt we have much time before the zombies come back again," Doing as he was told, he climbed on top of the griffon. She did not even budge at the extra weight of the human. "Make sure you have a firm grip around my neck. Don't want you falling off or anything." Once secured with his grip, they took off into the skies. While Dempsey's experiences with flying were limited, he was no stranger to heights either. While it was night time, the town remained visible through the combination of the moon and the light from the buildings. Off in the distance not too far off from Appleloosa, he saw the apple orchards.

"Just like in Ponyville…" he thought to himself. There were some cliffs overlooking the general area, but he doubt the AMT's range would allow it to be stationed so far. Overall, the land was barren. There was nothing but flatlands and cliffs as far out as he could see, even from such heights. They would be able to foresee the enemy's approach from miles away. "Alright, Gilda. Reconnaissance time is over."

"At least you didn't take your time," she remarked as the descended to land once more. "So, who else is here besides you?"

"Eh, let's see…There's Nikolai. He's alright, just a huge drinker. Then there's Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy." As he mentioned the names of the pegasus ponies, Dempsey could've sworn he saw the color drain from Gilda's face.

"Did you say, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy?"

"What, you got some shit between them?" She looked away from the Marine.

"You could say that…" Her voice this time was lacking in toughness. Instead, it was replaced by something akin to shame and bashfulness. Even Dempsey knew something was up with Gilda.

"Hoo boy…that can't be good. Look, if possible, can you spare the drama crap until the zombie problem is over? We can't really afford any life threatening mistakes out there."

"The hell do you take me for? I'm no pansy!" Dempsey raised his hands up defensively.

"Whoa, slow down. I'm just saying that if you have issues to resolve with those two, do it later," He was surprised with his reaction. Dempsey is the kind of man who takes shit from nobody. But, here he was, not even shouting at this creature he had just met who had given him attitude. Maybe it was just hanging out with colorful ponies that made him change somewhat. "In any case, we need to round up everypony and get a strategy going already. I want to get this over with. Fuck, did I just say 'everypony?' Really?"

* * *

The clock had struck midnight. Everyone important had gathered around a campfire in front of Sheriff Silverstar's office. Dempsey, Nikolai, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Little Strongheart, Chief Thunderhooves, Sheriff Silverstar, Braeburn, Gilda, and Trixie were all present. Dempsey looked at everyone in the eye to make sure all attention was on him. Once satisfied, he began the briefing.

"All right, everyone. Here's the plan. We're gonna have to concentrate most of our AMTs near the orchard. We can't afford to have Appleloosa lose any more of their food supply. While the train that we arrived in had given us extras, it can only buy so much time before starvation kicks in. After all, an army walks on stomachs! As an extra precaution, we'll also be setting up some Explody Bits in the general vicinity outside of the orchard. The blast range is incredibly huge, so we must use them sparingly. Ugh, that was awful to say… Anyway, my group consisting of Rainbow Dash, Sheriff Silverstar, Braeburn, and Trixie will cover the guys setting up the AMTs around the orchard. Meanwhile, the rest of you will help with the defensive perimeters around Appleloosa itself. Do whatever you deem necessary to protect the town and its inhabitants. Any questions?" Trixie raised her hoof.

"While its not a question, it is more of a correction. You forgot 'The Great and Powerful' after my name." Everyone in the group rolled their eyes simultaneously. Even after her rather forceful humbling in Ponyville, she remained very much the same.

"If that's all, then let's get Operation Overlord started! Let's move out, everyone! Oorah!"


	10. Letter of Apology

Letter of Apology

Hey everyone, Plagueuponman here. I felt this would be a bit TOO big for a simple author's note, so I decided to make this instead. First of all, I want to apologize to everyone who has been looking forward to updates. Life…just caught up with me. Shit happened. Everything was out of my power. It made me incredibly distressed how I couldn't even communicate with you guys. I am so sorry to everyone out there. This is by no means an excuse for my absence, rather a somewhat small explanation. I deserve all the slander and hate you guys most likely have tossed my way. After all, I do hate it when an author doesn't update as well. The fact that I let it happen is what angers me the most about myself.

In any case, I AM returning to the writing scene finally. After half a year, things have finally calmed down. I can actually sit on my computer and relax, write fanfiction, the works! I have not and WILL not abandon this story. This WILL be finished, mark my words. It may take me an eternity, but it will be finished.

I honestly doubt any of you really care what's been going on with me personally, so let's get this over with! New chapter should be up very shortly. After a week, I will most likely be deleting this to clean up space.


	11. Operation Overlord Pt 2

AN: Its been a while, hasn't it? Well do forgive any mistakes or choppy writing. Its been FAR too long and I am rather out of practice. In any case, hope you enjoy!

* * *

Ascend Through Darkness Chapter 10 Operation Overlord Part 2

So far, everything had been going smoothly. In the first hour of Operation Overlord, Dempsey's group had successfully transported the allotted amount of AMTs to the orchards safely. Though it was so far eventless, the night remained young.

"Alright, get those turrets set up ASAP! I don't want those freak bags ambushing us with our pants down. 'The Great and Powerful' Trixie will remain with the ponies here to help them set it up. The rest of you, follow me. I'm gonna need some assistance in placing these mines."

"Whoa there, partner! You can't get anywhere with that leg of yours! Why don't you ride on top of me? If you say that explosive radius is really huge, then we better bury those suckers far away!"

"Good thinking, Braeburn. We'll be back soon. Let's move out, everyone!" The team galloped forward, away from the orchards at a fast, steady pace. Without the illumination from Trixie's magic, visibility would be an issue, even with the moon. Thankfully, Sheriff Silverstar brought a firefly lamp with them.

"Hey Dempsey," Rainbow Dash said. "Do we really need to be this far away?"

"Let's put it this way: When the Doc is excited about creating something, take every damn precaution you can with his inventions. I'm not about to go down thanks to some fucking mishap with the equipment. Silverstar, is there anything else out there besides buffalo and pony zombies?" The sheriff took a moment to think before replying.

"There ain't nothin' I've seen different so far. And I'd like to keep it that way."

"Good. I hate surprises. Alright, this should be far enough. Once we bury these Explody Bits, we're getting the hell back into civilization. You and Braeburn go take some of these mines and place them over there. Dash and I will cover this area." The team divided even further as each group took to their respective locations. Throughout the process, Dash and Dempsey had been conversing about Trixie and her mishaps in Ponyville.

"…then, Snips and Snails lured the ursa major into Ponyville in hopes of seeing Trixie vanquish the beast. At the time, no one knew it was an ursa MINOR until Twilight intervened and saved the day. You should've SEEN Trixie's face when Twi told everypony that it was just a minor! Trixie may be good at magic, but she's no match for Twilight."

"Hah! Sounds like that bitch got what she deserves! Although, she does seem somewhat milder now then before." Meanwhile, Braeburn and Silverstar were having a conversation of their very own.

"Braeburn, are you SURE these humans are the ones that saved Ponyville?"

"Well, I'm quite positive that they're the first humans in Equestria. Something wrong, Sheriff?"

"Yes, there is. These guys seem incredibly bloodthirsty and violent. Like they can't wait to get their hands on these varmints. While we have a mutual enemy, I just can't bring myself to hate what were once livin' creatures, ya know?"

"I feel ya on that one, Sheriff. But we ain't got a choice if we want our town to prosper, let alone live. Its just one of those times where we have to bite our tongues."

"I suppose it is. Here's hopin' these fancy gizmos actually work." Suddenly, the ground around them surged to life, as if something underground were burrowing to the surface. The earth shook with a mighty quake as the group nearly lost their footing. Then, zombies began to emerge from the ground.

"Damn it! We have to get out of here now before the mines go off!" Braeburn and the Silverstar took off with Dempsey and Rainbow Dash following closely behind. The Marine looked back to see that the pony zombies were slow in their movement. But it wasn't the undead they feared this time. As they ran towards the orchards, Dempsey dropped a couple of Explody Bits in hopes of slowing down their pursuers. While none of the mines have actually activated yet, it would be soon when everyone would witness the destruction they were about to unleash. With the orchard in sight, Dempsey bellowed towards the ponies.

"The freak sacs are coming! Get your asses in gear and prepare for a brawl!"

"So soon? But we haven't set up all the turrets yet!"

"Well, Trixie, we're gonna have to cover them while they're finishing up! I hope your magic is powerful, because we're gonna be making some freak meat stew pretty damn soon!"

"Who do you think you are to question my powers? I'll show you! I'll show you all my majesty and strength!"

"'Milder, huh?" Rainbow Dash whispered to Dempsey. He grinned at her in response.

"Any plans in particular, partner?" Braeburn asked. The Marine took a moment to contemplate. While they were unable to finish setting up the turrets or the mines, what they were able to get done would suffice for a while. However, this was meant to be a long term defense rather than a brief protection from a siege. Though his group saw the zombies emerged from the ground, they haven't witnessed any of the Explody Bits actually exploding.

"Besides what we've brought from the train, what do you guys do to fight off these maggot bags?"

"Well, we've got us some enchanted apple pies that explode on contact." It was only now that the he noticed a cartful of the explosive pies near their position.

"In other words, grenades… Alright then! We'll engage with them from a distance. With the turrets we've got on hand and the mines out there on the field, I'm pretty sure we won't have to do as much work. Let Trixie and I pick them off from afar. We've better long range capabilities than your good throwing arm anyway. If they get within throwing distance, pelt them with your grenade pies! If they get REALLY close, smash their ugly mugs in! The rest of you engineers should head to town. Warn everyone of the battle and keep them on guard. I don't want ANY mistakes on this goddamn operation, you hear me? Now let's get to it. Oorah!" With everyone ready, all they had left to do was to wait. It wasn't long before they bore witness to the ruinous power that the Explody Bits held. Even from their great distance, the explosion was incredibly vivid. Blasts of hot air could easily be felt as the winds whipped their faces. The resulting explosion caused a chain reaction as mine after mine detonated each other in a sort of ballad of chaos and death. The trees at the front were beginning to catch ablaze as each successful blast goes off. Their ears were in a constant ring after the 7th blast.

"Holy shit! Explody bits? More like fucking mini nukes," Dempsey then noticed the fire that was slowly spreading. "Rainbow Dash! Get a rain cloud and extinguish those flames on the double!" Unfortunately, his words literally fell upon deaf ears. She mouthed a "what?" in response. Realizing this, he pointed at the growing inferno and she immediately got the hint. The pegasus zoomed off to gather as many clouds as possible. As she went about with her duties, Dempsey tried to communicate with the other ponies but to no avail. He could barely hear himself shout at this point. Then, the AMTs sprung to life as they began to shoot at the incoming zombies.

"They're still coming," Dempsey shouted in vain. "Trixie, on me now!" Communication was definitely going to be a problem. The delay between understanding body language could prove to be fatal. Worst of all, some of the ponies and buffalo that stayed with the main group were knocked out. While Dempsey and Trixie engaged the enemy in long range combat, Braeburn and Silverstar were busy tending to the recently wounded. Rainbow Dash was still occupied with dousing the flames. Dempsey was the first to recover from the initial shock of the explosion, though now it was replaced by a familiar ringing from his gunshots.

"Hey, can anyone hear me? I don't want this shit any harder than it has to be!"

"Good heavens! You said that was part magical? I haven't seen such concentration of raw magical energy before!" She began to fire off various attack spells from her horn, giving off a dazzling display of light.

"Thank god you can hear me! Yeah, Doc, and Gersch's team whipped up that. I can't believe I'm gonna say this, but, that's just way too much firepower to serve a purpose as protecting a town!"

"Wait a minute, did you say Gersch? THE Gersch? I thought he was dead!"

"Yeah, well, he's alive, alright. He's in Canterlot right now. Probably creating more crazy shit with the Doc."

"Oh my, I must simply visit Canterlot now! He's one of my idols, the master of teleportation!"

"Hah, if you can live to see through this hell, why not?" with his magazine empty, he quickly reloaded his Skullcrusher and switched to its grenade launcher.

"I've come this far. The Great and Powerful Trixie is not about to die in the middle of this chaos!"

"At least you know how to kill these freak bags in style. I like that!"

"Its all part of the show biz. These curs explode so beautifully, I'll give them that!"

"These turrets are just wreaking havoc on these bastards! Wait, what's that giant dust cloud?" In actuality, the dust cloud on the horizon was a stampeding herd of zombie buffalo, ready to trample down anything that gets in their way. Their only memory of their previous life was stampeding on the sacred grounds. Thus, the never cease their rampant anthem.

"Oh shit, here comes the stampede! Trixie, how did you guys deal with them before?"

"Believe me when I say this, but those apple pies are their weakness. The fact that I've made them explosive is icing on this confectionary!"

"Huh, if you say so. I'll just stick with my good ol' guns here then. I'll be switching places with the boys. You stay here and keep killing those bastards!" She briefly nodded before returning to her assault. Dempsey quickly ran towards the two colts as they gathered up the wounded. "Hey, you two! We've got a stampede of buffalo coming and we need your pie throwing skills up front! You leave the wounded to me."

"How are they still coming after all that?" Braeburn exclaimed.

"We'll have time for questions later if we live through all of this! Now move it before we're overwhelmed!" With lightning speed, the duo colts brought their respectful cartful of explosive pies to the frontlines where Trixie and the AMTs were continually firing.

"Hope your pie arm is still kickin', Sheriff! Wouldn't want an ol' timer such as yerself getting a sprain out here on the field of battle, now!"

"Hmph, you young'uns wouldn't know a damn thin' about pie throwin' if it weren't fer me! I'll show y'all that age means nothin' on the battlefield!"

"Oh really? Well then, how about a contest? Let's see who slays the most buffalo with explosive pies. And no cheatin'!"

"Hah, I'm an honorable stallion! I wouldn't stoop as low as a varmint just to skip numbers! Yer on, Braeburn!"

* * *

"Princesses Celestia and Luna, what is this urgent matter you wanted to speak with me about?"

"Gersch, we wish to speak to you about Richtofen. You've worked with him these past few weeks and I believe it is time for your progress report."

"Of course, Princess Celestia. While he's making great progress in the field of magic and technology, I fear he may know about the Elements of Harmony."

"Hm, it was inevitable but at least we bought time. Sister, anything on the other humans?"

"I've spoken with the citizens of Ponyville recently and they've taken a shining to them, despite their brash behavior. I've also personally spoken with Takeo. His honor and devotion to his country is reminiscent of our Equestrian Knights of our medieval period. Nikolai poses little threat. If anything, all we simply have to do is give him vodka and that's it. Though he doesn't show it to the public, Dempsey has also taken a liking to ponies in general. I quote, 'though you guys are fucking cute, you know how to kick ass!' Richtofen is the only one who is actually dangerous."

"Princess Luna is correct. It is not the brawn we should fear, but the brain. At this point, it seems he is so enamored with all the different type of spells that he locks himself up in the war room 24/7. In fact, this is the first time in quite a while that I've been away from him for this long."

"If you've been keeping an eye on him for so long, how did he find out about the Elements?"

"Forgive me, Princess Celestia. He may have wandered off into the fairy tale section of the library while I was away."

"No, it is okay for now, Gersch. As long as he treats the Elements like an old mare's tale, we should be fine. In any case, restoration of Equestria is coming along quite nicely. With Dempsey and his group, we can purge our beautiful land of this plague. You are dismissed now, Gersch. My sister and I shall head over to the other cities along with some of those AMTs and pegasus guards."

"I will keep both of you informed on Richtofen's movements. Oh, and your Highness?"

"What is it, my subject?"

"Would you be so kind as to deliver this gift to Nikolai? I do owe him a drink, after all…"

* * *

It was quiet on Sweet Apple Acres. The zombies had finally ceased in their siege. Takeo along with Applejack was on patrol, should any of the AMTs malfunction and need replacing.

"How's everythin' on the west side, Tak?"

"Everything's in order. And you, Applejack-san?"

"Nothin' fishy," she let out a sigh. "I just hope Braeburn and Appleloosa are doin' dandy."

"With the combined forces of human and pony, these undead fools do not stand a chance! I'm sure they're faring well, my friend."

"You're right, Tak. With those four on their side, they shouldn't have to worry," the earth pony sat down at the base of a particularly large apple tree. "C'mon, join me! I'm positive you're pooped by now."

"I think I will. It has been a long time since I've had a break." With her invitation, he joined Applejack under the tree. She leaned against him for support.

"Ya know, before y'all teleported here with yer fancy gizmos, I thought there was no hope to regain our way of livin'. It all felt so hopeless and now that its within our grasp, it feels…strange," He merely grunted in response. "What am I suppose to feel? Happiness? Relief? So much needless death just to reclaim what was rightfully ours. Thinkin' about it confuses me."

"Peace, I have not heard that concept for a long time. The war consumed our entire world, leaving only ruin in its wake. I fought in the name of my country, my Emperor, my honor. Though, now I'm also questioning what is left of my world. If the zombies have invaded Russia, Germany, and Japan, what hope is there now?"

"Tak, what will you do, ya know, when this is all over?"

"I…I don't know, to be honest. I would like to return back to my home to fix everything, but what if its too late? What if I abandon this paradise for a lost cause?"

"Well, if you do choose to live here I'll gladly let you stay here, with me…" Applejack noticeably blushed as she spoke the last part.

"Thank you, Applejack. That is very gracious of you," he looked at her and brushed a strand of mane from her face. "You know, I had not realized how beautiful ponies are until now."

"Gosh, I hope yer not referrin' to little ol' me…"

"Well, who else would I be talking about? I consider you a great friend. Your selflessness and honesty have truly captured my heart!"

"Heh, I AM the Element of Honesty for a good reason…"

"The Element of what?" Out of realization, Applejack widened her eyes at her own statement. She stood up abruptly which aroused more suspicion in Takeo.

"N-nothin', nothin' at all, Tak! Just thinkin' out loud, heh. It happens often…" The earth pony gave a nervous grin. The human only smirked in return.

"You're an awful liar, Applejack-san. And I'd appreciate it greatly if you told me the truth behind that statement." She sighed in defeat as she settled down once more next to the human.

"I guess I'll come clean, then. Ya see, there are 6 Elements of Harmony. Together, they possess a magic so strong that it is coveted across Equestria. And, I'm a host for one of these elements, Honesty."

"Hm, very interesting. If that is the case, then there must be 5 other hosts out there for these elements! If we can somehow gather them up, we can use it to end this madness, right?" Applejack fidgeted slightly in her spot and looked away from his glance. "There's more, isn't there?"

"Um, yes, there is. I'm sorry, but that's all I can tell ya! Anymore and I fear I may be betrayin' her…"

"That is quite alright. Your honor is still intact in my eyes. I won't pry any further. Besides, we honorable warriors should stick together!"

"Heh, thanks for understandin', Tak. Come on, its gettin' late and we should hit the hay. Big day tomorrow, ya know!"

* * *

"…and so, because of fourth wife, I like pump action best!"

"Hah! You humans are a tough breed! Maybe even on par with us griffons, eh?"

"Never in my life would I expect to find legendary creature, let alone talking marshmallow ponies! Alright, are the AMTs all set up?" Fluttershy, along with Little Strongheart and Chief Thunderhooves approached Nikolai and Gilda.

"All of the AMTs are properly stationed, Nikolai." Thunderhooves stated.

"Da, that is good news, comrade! Time for a drink," Just as Nikolai finished his sentence, a scroll magically appeared in front of him. Out of reflex, he grabbed it out of midair. "Huh? I said drinking, not reading time!" However, Fluttershy was the first to notice something familiar about this particular scroll.

"Oh my, it's a letter from the Princess!" Everyone looked towards Fluttershy and her sudden outburst, but she quickly reverted back to her shy self once all eyes were on her. "Um, I mean, you should read it out loud…" The Soviet undid the royal seal and unraveled the scroll. Much to his surprise, a bottle of vodka was inside.

"Whoa! Amazing, is your Princess a communist, too?" After seeing the looks he was getting, he rolled his eyes and placed the new bottle of vodka in his bag. "Eh, never mind. Fuck you. Ahem, 'Dear Comrade Nikolai. There was one minor detail I had failed to mention to you about the Explody Bits. You see, the ones we administered to you are the grenade versions. In other words, the explosion will not be as big, but it is still very effective. Use these bombs wisely. P.S. I was never able to thank you properly for your aid in my escape from the Cosmodrome. I hope this vintage bottle of vodka straight from Russian distilleries will find you well. Sincerely, Gersch.' Bless this wonderful unicorn man thingy who gives vodka!" Before anyone could say a word, a series of massive explosions followed by brilliant flashes of light silenced everyone. Gilda and Nikolai were the first to recover.

"Agh, what the hell was that?" Gilda demanded.

"That, my comrade, is a sign of action! Everyone, to your stations! Zombies will be coming soon! And with zombies comes fun!" Nikolai, Strongheart, and the Chief took their places on the frontlines behind various haystack barricades. Fluttershy and Gilda took to the skies and are also armed with culinary weaponry.

"Gilda, are they coming, yet?" Nikolai called out. She took a moment to scan the landscape before spotting movement not too far off.

"They're slow, but those undead bastards are approaching us!"

"Oh, if they're slow, it means they're easy to kill! Easy killings mean more time for break. We should let the turrets do the dirty work for now!" The griffon and pegasus landed near the others with relief written on their faces. The buffalo were also at ease though they still carried their explosive pies.

"You know, this reminds me of those times in the trenches at Kursk. Very strenuous battle, I tell you! Those accursed Messerschmitts always doing those stupid dive bombing attacks! It kept waking me from hangover nap! So, in retaliation, I would kill those Nazis."

"Messerschmitt? The hell is that?" Gilda questioned." The Soviet took a swig from his newly acquired bottle before answering her question.

"It's an airplane, a flying machine. Oh, do you hear that? The whirring of the machinery! It's almost show time! Let us watch the beautiful carnage, comrades!" The rest of the group peeked over their barricades to watch with Nikolai. True enough, the turrets were beginning to find their targets as the zombies slowly approached. Much to the relief of the buffalo, none of their zombie counterparts were present. At last, the machines sprung into action and immediately began to mow down the zombies. While Nikolai and Fluttershy were no strangers to the turrets' handiwork, the others were. Gilda nearly squawked in surprise at the loud crackling of the shots but she held her tongue.

"This…this machinery! Its like having an army of unicorns on your side," Chief Thunderhooves exclaimed. "Nikolai, you simply must tell us more about these AMTs!"

"My god, why does everyone expect me to know these gadgets? Do I look that smart? I know I'm handsome but…"

"Was it not you who created this?"

"Of course not, Chief! It was another comrade of ours, Doctor Richtofen. He's the genius behind this madness. A bit on the goofy side too if ya ask me…" Before their nonchalant conversation could continue, Gilda got their attention with one of her trademark squawks.

"Guys, I hate to break it to you, but we can't just sit idly by anymore! Zombie buffalo are on the horizon."

"My former brethren have arrived already…?" Though he knew slaying the zombies were for survival, it still felt incredibly uncomfortable for Chief and Strongheart to kill what used to be their friends and family. With a grunt, Nikolai stood up with his EPC Win in hand.

"Comrades, I may not look smart, but I have good strategy! Those buffalo look tough, may do a lot of damage to buildings and stuff. So…uh…damn, lost my train of thought…someone help me out here." The rest of the group looked at each other before Fluttershy spoke up slightly.

"Um…you want us to target the buffalo while the AMTs take care of the other zombies? Oh goodness, I hope I got that right…"

"Bingo! My god, you ponies can read minds too? Wait a minute, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to go to those medic place thingies and heal stuff?"

"Oh, well, Dempsey said I would make a good field medic and the hospitals really only needed the supplies…" Nikolai placed his hand under his chin, as if to process the information faster.

"Hm, why not? You have wings. Good for…moving. Alright, comrades. Let's get to killing!" The five of them rushed headlong into battle, armed with their respective weaponry. Nikolai rode atop of Chief Thunderhooves with Strongheart at his flank. Gilda and Fluttershy took to the skies with their explosive pies and Explody Bits in special pouches. In a sense, this allowed them to act as incredibly mobile bombers. Despite their dire situation, no one could mistake the uncomfortable air that seemed to radiate between the griffon and the bashful pegasus. Gilda shot a glance at her.

"Listen, dweeb. If you wanna make it out of this alive, follow my lead," she vehemently nodded in response. "Alright, see those giant groups of buffalo zombies there? That's our target. We'll use those Explody Bits to mess em up good! These pies will be reserved for dog fights. I'm positive we'll see zombie pegasi soon…" Though Fluttershy could normally utter a sentence or two to acquaintances and friends, she found herself tongue tied in front of the griffon who once terrorized her. It was all she could do to keep from crying in front of her and risking the mission. Through her mental turmoil, she barely noticed Gilda veering strongly to the right. The duo began to pick up speed as they were getting ready to initiate their dive bomb attack with their deadly cargo. Gilda looked back to see that Fluttershy was keeping up with her pace with little effort.

"Not bad for someone who hardly flies…" she thought to herself. She raised her paw and held out three claws, signaling the countdown to release the bombs. Once it hit zero, both of them pulled the string attached to their pouches which dropped the Explody Bits on top of the unsuspecting herd of buffalo zombies. The two looked down to witness the carnage of the bombs for the first time.

"Whoa! What a rush! There's hardly any sign of those poor bastards!" While Gilda was cackling, Fluttershy couldn't help but look around nervously. This was too easy, even for her! She struggled far more on the way to Appleloosa than now.

"Um…Gilda…" The griffon turned to her, still chuckling.

"Hee hee, what is it, dweeb?" Before Fluttershy could say anything, a familiar blue fog rolled in and surrounded the town. While Gilda was perplexed, Fluttershy became alarmed.

"Oh no, hell hounds! Quick, we have to return to Nikolai's group!"

"Wha? What is this fog? I can barely see anything!"

"Hurry! There's no time." The pegasus already flew off without waiting for the griffon's response. But there was no time for questioning. Hell hounds sounded pretty bad to her. And if its something that causes even Fluttershy to become more outspoken, then it must be something to worry about! Thanks to her keen senses, she was able to see Fluttershy's pastel colorings through the dull fog. They sharply slowed their descent once the buildings came into sight. While Nikolai picked off the horde from a distance, Chief and Strongheart took care of the zombies within short range.

"Hyah hah! This is great! I don't have to use my legs to move, and I can still kill freely!" Nikolai seemed to be having such a blast that he hasn't noticed the fog yet. Though the buffalo looked incredibly worried. They looked towards the fliers who had just landed.

"Ah, Fluttershy, Gilda," Chief started. "We heard the explosions! Is that what's causing this strange blue fog?" Fluttershy violently shook her head.

"Hell hounds!" was the only word she managed to say. This got the Soviet's attention.

"Oh, is that what all this fogginess was? I thought it was just my vision blurring again! Hee hee, I was wondering why the air suddenly smelled of dog shit!" Lightning struck around the group several times but left no visible damage on the ground. However, in its wake were the fiery beasts. Everyone but Nikolai widened their eyes at the horrid sight.

"This…came from your world too?" Strongheart muttered.

"Da, they're quite the annoying bunch. Always chasing you, making you run…By the way, we really should start killing them."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Gilda brandished her claws. "Its time for some CQC! I ain't afraid of no demon dog!"

"Ooooo! A slicey dicey contest! Let Nikolai join the carnage!" He jumped off of Thunderhooves' back, following Gilda's charge into the fog. This left only the buffalo and Fluttershy to fend for themselves.

"Fluttershy, you seem to know more about these hellish creatures then we do," said Strongheart. "Tell us, what do we have to prepare for?" For a moment, the pegasus struggled to find the exact words she wanted to say.

"Um…well, they don't really 'zombify' you if you get bit. But, they do leave a nasty burn, so its bad either way."

"Hmph! These scoundrels won't even be able to touch us! Come, Strongheart! Battle awaits us." With a nod, they rushed forward to combat the hell hounds as well.

"Hey, wait for me!" Not wanting to fall behind her peers, she quickly caught up with them. Without a doubt, every single one of them was engaged with at least one hell hound. Nikolai and Gilda were killing off most of them while the buffalo simply stampeded over the dogs. The animal loving pegasus was nearly in tears at the sight.

"Oh, those poor dears…" she whispered to herself. "What could've caused this to happen to you…?"

* * *

"Hah! Mark one buffalo fer me."

"Are you blind, old man? That was CLEARLY the turret's work."

"What? U callin' me a liar, sonny? My pie CLEARLY took out that buffalo!"

"Grr, will you two can it? Are you trying to get on The Great and Powerful Trixie's bad side?"

"No, ma'am…" Braeburn replied with a sigh.

"Good. Now let's fend off this horde! I'd rather not be somepony's lunch." While they were at the frontlines pushing back the undead, Dempsey and Rainbow Dash both finished their respective tasks. She flew down towards his position with a confident smile.

"Wow, Dempsey! Didn't know you were so good at handling the wounded."

"Yeah, well, you gotta be if you want to look out for your troops. I may be an asshole in general, but I do care for my men," As he wiped the sweat from his brow, he looked up into the night sky. "Shit, man. Let's go back to killing! All this sappiness is starting to mess with my head." With an excited whoop, the rainbow pegasus jumped into the air with joy.

"Thought you'd never say that! Hop on, Dempsey! We'll attack em from the sky!"

"Ha ha! Death from above…I like your thinking!" With a devilish grin, he mounted Rainbow Dash and they flew off towards the raging battlefield. At the speed she was going, the Marine found it difficult to keep his eyes open. But he could still distinguish from friend and foe.

"We're about to descend! Get your heavy weaponry ready!" She shouted. Getting his Skullcrusher ready, she gave the signal of their descent. As they flew across the battlefield, Dempsey dumped his frag grenades and shot at the buffalo from above.

"Yeah! Suck it, freak bags!" The explosions greatly softened the incoming buffalo which allowed the ground troops to easily pick them off with little effort. "Yo, Dash! We gotta do another run!" She gave him the "hooves up" sign and they turned around for another bombing.

"Dempsey! How many more of those Explody Bits do you have?"

"Are you crazy? If we set them off here now, it'll fuck the whole town over!"

"I know that already! I can lure the whole zombie group far away from the town and then we can safely detonate those bombs!"

"Hah, don't tell me you're challenging yourself by trying to outrun the explosions!"

"You kidding me? I'm the fastest flier there is in Equestria! Now hang on tight! We're getting these stinkers outta town!" She flew dangerously close to the buffalo zombies as she whizzed past them. Once she was in front of the whole group, she whistled at them. Miraculously, they stopped what they were doing to pay attention to her. She bulged her eyes and cheeks out and stuck her tongue at them in a mocking manner.

"Bleghghgh bet you slowpokes can't keep up with me!" She turned around, smacked her rear and zoomed off.

"Are you sure pissing them off will work? I mean, come on! They got no damn brains!" The pegasus merely replied by pointing behind them. He turned to see the whole hoard; furious and on their tail. "Well I'll be damned…" She smirked and gained speed, luring nearly all the undead away from town and to a certain doom. Once the pegasus was satisfied with their distance, she shouted at Dempsey.

"Alright, Dempsey! This'll be our last bombing run for tonight! Let's finish em off in one fell swoop!" He gave her the ok sign in response. She sharply made a u-turn and signaled the Marine to release the Explody Bits. Going on her cue, he opened the satchel containing the rest of the bombs and dropped them over the horde. He tapped her side twice to indicate the job was finished. Instantaneously, the pegasus flew faster which forced Dempsey to grip around her neck. The tell tale signs of the beeping from the Explody Bits meant their job was finished. However, Rainbow Dash didn't count on how hard the explosion hit her, despite her current speed. As the shockwave from the explosions, hit the duo, the flier spiraled out of control, flinging Dempsey off her back. In a fleeting moment, they stared into each other's eyes. Fear and surprise showed in both pairs as they crashed into the ground.

"No…this can't be the end…!" both thought to themselves.

* * *

It took all his willpower to open his eyes to strange noises. He was greeted with a blinding light and familiar voices.

"Oh, thank goodness! Dempsey's finally awake!" Was that…Fluttershy? The Marine blinked a few times to adjust to the penetrating light.

"Ugh…where the hell am I…?" Suddenly, he was greeted with a tremendous crushing force around his chest. He could only grunt in response as the shy pegasus gave him her best hug.

"Dempsey I'm so glad you're awake!" She was practically in tears. He did the best he could to gently push her off.

"Jeez, man! Enough with the sappiness," she quickly complied. "So, what happened? Why am I in pain and in bed?" Suddenly, her expression changed to that of realization.

"Ah, I gotta tell the others! I'll be right back, Mr. Dempsey!" Before he could object, she was gone in a flash.

"Damn, she can really move when she wants to." He didn't have to wait long for his familiar squad to come into his medical tent. Nikolai was the first to talk.

"Holy shit, Dempsey! What the fuck were you doing, trying to fly like that? You are not a pegasus pony! Hah, and people say I'M the drunk one." Everyone merely rolled their eyes at his remarks. "Well, it is good that you have recovered. I wasn't in the mood to carry your body back, ya know?" Braeburn was the next to comment.

"Ah'm just glad y'all are fine. Were it not for everypony's bravery, I doubt Appleloosa would live to see another day! Mr. Dempsey, we're gonna prepare a nice feast for y'all, to celebrate our victory! It's the least we can do to pay ya back for yer hospitality…"

"Well, I'm just glad the mission wasn't a failure. So uh, can anyone fill me in on why I'm so fucked up right now?" Everyone looked at each other and then towards Rainbow Dash. She turned her head to the side in a somewhat shameful and shy manner.

"Uh…I can explain. I hope you guys don't mind but…I can use some privacy with Dempsey." Everyone nodded and walked out the tent. Once they left, she turned towards the Marine with glazed eyes. "I…I'm so sorry! I didn't think it would be that bad…" Slowly, it was all coming to him. He remembered the explosion, the zombies, and especially falling off Dash mid-flight.

"Oh, shit! So that's what happened. But what about you? Aren't you injured?" She nodded.

"Yeah, but its nothing compared to what happened to you…" He finally looked down at himself to see the extent of the damage. Nearly his whole body was wrapped in bandages. His left arm was broken. Oddly enough, the previously bad leg was now healthy. When he looked up to the pegasus, she was in tears. Slowly, she walked up to him and laid her head softly against her chest and began to cry softly. "I'm a terrible friend! I let this happen to you! It was my fault you're this badly hurt…!" He patted her back in a soothing and rather "un-Dempsey" fashion.

"Hey…I'll be fine. Its just a flesh wound. Give me a week or two and I'll be back up in no time, Rainbow Dash. Come on, now. Stop yer crying. It doesn't really suit you, to be honest." He gave a light chuckle. "I knew the risk coming into a fight like that. Hell, if anything, we're lucky to live through that! Live to kick ass another day, ya know? She smiled softly at his words.

"Yeah…you're right! Great, now you've seen me all…uncool and weepy…" Dempsey placed a finger to his mouth in a shushing manner.

"Hey, I won't tell anyone. Cross my heart-"

"-Hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye." They could only laugh at their own childish yet meaningful gesture.

* * *

AN:I know there's quite a bit of open ends here. But all shall be explained in due time...


End file.
